Keep Me Safe
by whenaspritemeetsaunicorn
Summary: Nine years ago, a woman & her young daughter vanished. After being tortured for so long, she's rescued & returns along with the dark secrets she's harboring, as do her child & eleven other missing girls a bit later. She's afraid to love again & new complications arise since her best friend is keeping a deadly secret from everyone, which may just destroy the strongest bonds. Very AU
1. World Flipped Upside Down

**Thank you for beta'ing, A Star In My Universe! Welcome to my new story! (don't** **worry, I'm not dumping The Calming Neon Lights In Our Dark Stormy Skies!)**

 **Summary:** **Nine years ago, a woman and her young daughter vanished. After being tortured for so long, she gets rescued and returns along with the dark secrets she's harboring, as do her child and eleven other missing girls a while later. She's afraid to love again and new complications arise because her best friend is keeping a deadly secret from everyone, which may just destroy the strongest bonds between friends and lovers. The parents will go to great lengths to protect their kids. Very AU, ships: Nicky/Shani, Flaritza, Alex/Michelle, Daya/Adarsh, Maria/Yadriel, Blanca/Diablo, Pennsatucky/Nathan, Poussey/Franziska, Aleida/Leon, Gloria/Fahri, Diane/Charles, also includes Taystee, Ouija, Pidge, Alana, Margarita, Red, Lourdes, Frieda, Claudette, Tricia, Allison, Zirconia, Cindy, Janae, and other parents of the kidnap survivors. Very dark and OOC, the Litchfield ladies aren't in prison.**

 **Any guesses of who the woman in the first two scenes could be? Hint, none of the 'young' looking inmates ;)**

 **Warning: abuse, mentions of neglect, violence, and torture, hostage situations, dark and graphic themes.**

A young woman was standing on an overpass and blankly staring at the traffic below her. Cars zoomed left and right. Horns honked. It was a busy day in Northampton. She put her hands on the ledge and closed her eyes. She was about to swing her legs over and push herself off, but she hesitated.

There were people she loved in the world, older women she looked up to, her best friends, and her baby girl. She tried to think about them and she wanted to see them one last time to apologize for being so stupid. Then she remembered that they had their own lives now. _He'd_ taken her back there and the house was filled with people at a party. They were having fun without her. Why would they want her back now after she'd basically abandoned them for _him_?

Her friends, daughter, and her mom and aunt figures might have been finished mourning her, but they would be pleasantly surprised if she showed up at any of their doorsteps suddenly. Maybe they had a faint belief in the fact that she was still out in the world, somewhere. Maybe there was hope. _Maybe she backed away from the ledge and brushed her suicidal thoughts away before running to the police station as fast as she could with her long blonde hair flowing behind her._ The fact that she ran away due to strength was simply a figment of her imagination. Really, she was frozen with fear on the overpass and was afraid to get down. Now, she was way past freaking out; she'd moved on to the brink of insanity.

She saw police cars and ambulances below her. A man was climbing up a ladder and she put her hands up to stop him. In her moment of panic, she forgot about appearances. She shook her head and ran down the steps, all the way to the ground. She didn't want to attract attention, but she'd already made the mistake of doing so. It was known that she could only see shadows, so hopefully, her husband wouldn't be too angry.

Her sunglasses were sliding down her nose and she stopped to gasp for breath. She heard people talking all around her. It would be on the news. The seemingly high-class beauty who was perfectly happy despite her two disabilities, tried to end her life. Nobody knew why. She was Lee Dixon's wife, for Christ's sake. Who wouldn't be happy with a handsome and friendly guy like him? It just didn't make sense. The thing was, he wasn't handsome at all, on the inside or out-at home, he'd take up the whole couch with his massive body and order her around.

"Lola?" _His_ voice startled her. She jumped and was afraid to look behind her. He hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. "Damn it, don't ever do that to me again! I swear to God, I was so worried about you!"

Reporters were crowding around them now, and she felt his grip grow painfully stronger. "Alright, we need some privacy!" he yelled at the crowd. "You can see she's all right! If anyone puts this on the news, I will sue them!"

That seemed to scare everyone away.

She shivered in his grasp. "I'm sorry, Lee. I don't know what I was thinking."

He roughly shoved her into his car and glared at her. She shrank into herself as he drove them home. They lived away from society to not risk any neighbors reporting him to the police. He would shoot a witness anyway, she knew that, but he still wanted to protect himself, in case a witness outsmarted him.

"You embarrassed me, you fucking whore!" he ranted at her. "It's bad enough that the public knows you've got Helen Keller syndrome, minus the deafness, but now they know you're bipolar! What the hell else is wrong with you? You know we are the most popular couple in Northampton. You know that people pity you and envy you at the same time. You smile and wave at them, but you're unavailable because you belong to me! My friends are yours. My house is yours. I buy you everything you've ever wanted, and this is what I get in return?" He swung his fist into her face and her head hit the side window. She was dizzy and she could feel blood seeping out of the flesh below her eye. "Fuck you, woman!"

She knew what was coming. It wasn't just the usual nightly beating and rape; it would be like all the other times she tried to run away. He would act like a gentleman to her, make her serve him and his friends and then drug her with an alcoholic beverage while he let his friends, a disgusting gang, have turns with her. She didn't know why she even bothered thinking about getting out. It would be impossible, since gossip spread about her and him and he knew everyone and whoever saw her in a dangerous situation would tell him. She had once left the house while he was on a business trip, and his secretary ratted her out. She had once broken the tracking device he kept on various places of her body, and it shocked her so she couldn't move for a week. She had seen her friends when they traveled to the Bronx in New York, but, of course, they had not recognized her. Her disguise was flawless and her husband unknown to them. More than once she inwardly kicked herself for having never mentioned a word about him to them and then eloping. Now, because of that stupid mistake, all they saw was a handsome man with his wife. They never saw their friend and neither did anyone else. She knew there was no way out after three failed attempts. Even they couldn't save her.

She found herself naked and locked in a basement hours later with duct tape around her mouth and her wrists and ankles bound with ropes. To ensure that she would never leave him again, he chained her to a pole in the basement. She cried desperately and struggled, but it was no use. She was trapped.

* * *

"How did you get away from her?" Felix Rikerson asked his partner.

"It was easy. I finally got up the courage to control that bitch and break up with her. I was surprised she let me leave her. Then again, she threatened to ruin my career by telling everyone I cheated on her, and she's racist. That's a deal breaker for me; the woman I fall for cannot be a Nazi or a bigot. She is not fit to be a good girlfriend. She always seemed too evil...it was foreboding whenever she complained about anyone who wasn't straight, white, or Christian. I thought she loved me…and I was different. She used me. All she wanted was sex, no strings attached."

"The divorce is final, then?"

"Our lawyer thought it was best that I put a restraining order on her because she would follow me to work, call me every five seconds, and hurt herself so she could tell people that I was abusive. She was stalking me, so I had to put a restraining order on her. I haven't heard from her since she ended up in prison."

"Thank God. I'm glad you're okay now, buddy."

"Now, we've got some more cases to solve, right?."

"You are so out of the loop, Ford."

"Three years of being in a bad marriage does do that to you."

The men were driving down the road darkened by late night shadows, when they saw a man setting fire on pieces of paper that were coming off of tree trunks and metal poles.

"You better go check that out, Charles. That is not normal what he's doing...he's destroying missing person signs!"

"He's gonna get arrested for arson." Charles turned on the police sirens and the arsonist stopped in his tracks. He dropped the match, stomped on it, sprinted to his car with the burnt pieces of paper in his hands, and sped away. Charles and Felix quickly followed him to an empty area with a single house. They were quick to recognize the house as Lee Dixon's. He was, after all, the wealthiest military veteran in the city. _So why then would he feel the need to commit a crime?_

"When Dixon goes in, we knock," Felix told Charles.

"How could anyone look up to him?" Charles asked himself, but Felix answered anyway.

"This city is probably too damn naive to see his true colors."

"To me, he's just a stuck up bastard dying for attention and using his poor wife to get it all." Charles groaned and they prepared to arrest the guy.

"People are instantly attracted to a blonde, blind-mute woman. They want to help her, and they want to impress him. So they try getting close to her, but all anyone knows about her is that her name is Lola Dixon. She just sits next to him with this..."

"Fake smile," Charles finished for his friend. "Her world is dark. She's got a pompous ass for a husband and he's the only one who really talks to her. He doesn't seem to let anyone else in their lives."

They knocked on his door, and Lee let them in with a smirk. "Evening, officers, what can I do for you?"

"You're under arrest for arson," Charles muttered.

"I didn't even see you guys!"

Rikerson ignored him. "Are you intoxicated?"

"What?" he spluttered. "For fuck's sake, no!"

They heard thumping in one of the rooms below and then a scream. It was a woman's shrill shriek that echoed throughout the house. The banging continued while the inspectors looked at Lee quizzically.

"Where is your wife?" Charles asked.

Lee suddenly got defensive. "In the basement! She's trying to find something and she must have felt a rodent or whatever."

"Aren't you gonna go help her?" Rikerson asked.

"I thought she was mute," Charles said plainly.

"She is, but she can make noises. She figures things out on her own. Don't worry about her."

"Please help me," the woman faintly begged. "Oh God, please, please...I'm stuck down here..."

The voice was muffled and scratchy, like she had a cold or something was blocking her mouth, and talking at all did not fit Charles's or Rikerson's definition of mute. She never spoke, but she was saying full sentences now. They saw Lee sweating and he took a few full swigs of his whiskey before he offered another explanation.

"She knows all the rooms in this house, even if she can't see. She's not completely mute, as you can tell, but that's her voice. It's like a sick person's."

Charles recognized the voice for some reason. "Mind if we meet her in person? I've been out of the state for quite a while, and Rikerson has been so busy covering my shifts that I have no idea what she looks like. I've just heard nice things about her and she sounds...interesting."

"Get out!" Lee suddenly barked at them. "She can't use stairs and I need to help her, just get out for a minute!"

"I'll handle him, you check out the scene. This sounds bad, very bad," Rikerson whispered.

"You think he kidnapped his own wife?"

"Hey, it happens. He was trying to get rid of the missing person papers, and there's a woman down there screaming her head off. The pieces connect."

"You can't go down there! She's scared of everyone except me! If you search my house, I can sue you!"

"No, you can't, because I have a search warrant." Charles held it up as proof.

Rikerson handcuffed Dixon and led him to the back of the cop car while Charles followed the whimpering sounds to a closed door.

He wanted to kick down the door, but so he wouldn't scare her, he unlocked it, felt around for a light switch, and walked down the stairs when he found one.

* * *

There were footfalls. Heavy footfalls. The kind that boots made when stomping down a staircase. A light was now on, and she squinted. When she saw the man's pant-covered legs emerge, she covered herself as best she could with her folded-up legs and held herself together. She leaned her forehead against the cool metal pole and her sunglasses clanked on it. Her back was facing the stranger and she was shaking all over.

"Don't hurt me..." she cried beneath the duct tape.

"Oh my God..." she heard behind her. Whoever it was took in a sharp breath of air. A calloused, warm hand softly touched her shoulder, and she yelped in surprise.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," the mystery man apologized. "I'm here to help you." He got in front of her and started unbinding her. He cut the ropes with a knife while staring at the ground intently. When she got one of her wrists free, she ripped the tape off her mouth. It stung like hell, but at least she could talk more clearly.

 _Wait, she wasn't supposed to talk. This may have just been a trick, one of his friends she'd never met, was here to have his way with her, and he needed her unchained, but then why would he respect her privacy and have a certain familiarity to his tone of voice? Nothing made sense._

She clamped her mouth shut and continued breathing through her nose. He turned around and excused himself. Five minutes later, he came down with a blanket and covered her with it. He lifted her small body into his arms and carried her up the stairs. He sat her down on her bed and took his own place standing beside her.

"Where do you keep all of your clothes? I can help you pack up. My partner has already arrested your husband, so you're okay here, unless you'd rather stay somewhere else?"

Finally, she dared a look at his face. Tears slipped down her cheeks when she saw him. She hadn't seen him in ages, eighteen years to be exact, and he was here, of all places. She knew then that she could expose her secret. She wriggled her arm out of the blanket he had her snuggled in and took off her sunglasses and wig in one move. His eyes widened and he put his fist to his mouth. Her sunglasses and wig were hiding two black eyes and a huge gash on her forehead. She had bruises all over her body and he wondered how anyone could hurt such a lovely, sweet woman.

"Gloria and I's childhood home."

* * *

"Look at the new girl," Nicky Nichols mumbled. "I hate that we had to lure her here! She was just trying to enjoy a walk in the peace and quiet."

Alex Vause stared sadly after their freshest piece of meat, which is what their captor and his buddy enjoy calling young girls they'd just taken away from civilization. The tiny girl with brown hair and smudged red lipstick and black eyeliner, was curled up on the cot, whimpering and writhing around, trying to get out of the handcuffs which were strapped to either side of the cot. Minus the makeup, she could pass for about eight or nine. "Yeah, I know. Poor kid didn't even put up much of a fight. She scratched Taystee and Blanca a few times, but that was it."

"Yo, she hasn't even said a word since we got here," Maria Ruiz pointed out. "At least we got each other..."

"Yeah, we do," Blanca Flores agreed. She gestured to the brunette who she and Taystee Jefferson just kidnapped under the orders of their master. "We need to get her undressed except for her bra and undies. That motherfucker's gonna come in soon and call us for dinner, and you know what happens if we don't do as he says."

"Alright." Nicky sighed regretfully. "Maybe I should, ya know...try to calm her down before doing it?"

"Well, sure, explain what you doin' first," Taystee told her. "We've all tried to talk to her, but she could do better with one of us, then she won't be so overwhelmed."

The blonde nodded her head yes. She went over to the smaller girl and gently sat beside her. "Hey kid...uh, don't struggle, please. It'll be worse and you'll get all kinds of nasty cuts on your wrists...they'll swell up-"

"Why didn't you just leave me alone?" she asked so softly that Nicky could barely hear her. "Or at least warn me...the black girl was nice enough to apologize."

"We wanted to, alright? Our...our master was watching us and we couldn't. Last time we tried, he captured the girl instead and cooked her for us to eat and whipped us so bad it scarred us for life!" Nicky pointed to a harsh red line across her side, and the other girl gasped in horror as her face went pale. "Literally."

"Are you serious? I mean about the...the cannibal thing?"

"Yes, unfortunately. What's your name?"

"Lorna," she mumbled timidly. "Who are you?"

"I'm Nicky." The blonde pointed to the other girls who were cuddled up against each other for warmth, as they're all almost naked except for a black bra and a pink thong. "The one in glasses is Alex...then the Latina who put her hand over your mouth is Blanca, and the other Latina is Maria, and the girl who's wearing dreadlocks is Taystee."

"Oh...hi, girls," Lorna greeted them.

"Hey..." they replied in unison.

Nicky unlocked the handcuffs that were binding Lorna. "I'm not releasing you, sorry...but I need you out of these and then your clothes since the monster in charge requires us to strip down to our undergarments...that's our only outfit."

"No, please..." Lorna begged. "I get cold easily! I could die of frostbite when it's gonna snow!"

"In the dead of winter, we're allowed one blanket, but it's usually ratty, smelly, and stiff. It doesn't provide a lot of heat, but it's better than nothing. Uh...should I remove your clothes or do you wanna do it yourself?"

"I will." Lorna exhaled loudly and then turned around to face the wall with her back to the girls. "I didn't even like changing in the locker room..." She took her shoes and socks off, pulled her long sleeved shirt up and over her head and wiggled out of her jeans. "Are you sure there isn't a way to escape? How long have you even been in here?" She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as a chill went through the air. Nicky shivered as did Lorna.

"Come sit with us!" Alex beckoned them over and patted the spot beside her. "Our bodies squished together generate more heat."

Once they joined the others, Lorna scooted so close to Nicky that the smaller girl was practically in her lap. Nicky immediately hugged Lorna close while she leaned back into Alex's arms. "To answer your question, kid, it's hard to escape. Trust me, we've all tried...and failed miserably. Even when he's not here, he has his minions watching us...and no cops have ever come around to investigate. He never lets us out, not even to go to school. Nobody, except the people who live in this house, has ever seen us since we've disappeared," she began to explain.

Lorna trembled. "So...so my parents and my sister, Franny and my brother, Mikey...and my friends...they'll just think I'm dead? I would be reported missing after twenty-four hours, right?"

"Our people presume that we gone for good," Taystee answered. "My fam don't give a shit, but for the others, it's been hella rough."

"Yeah, and he makes sure to rub her nose in it, too," Maria continued. "He does that to all of us...shows us the news with our loved ones cryin'...sometimes, they'd say our names and that's when we'd break down."

"He's taken us in our most vulnerable moments," Blanca went on. "Every two years, he's kidnapped some poor girl who was by herself someplace."

"Yeah...starting with me," Alex mumbled, and Lorna stared at her with widened eyes. "I was just a toddler when he attacked my mother and stole me from her. I must've screamed bloody murder. I don't remember where it happened."

"Just horrible! How old are you now?" Lorna wanted to know.

"Thirteen. All of us are preadolescent...he likes that we're around the same age for some odd reason."

"Me too..."

"I was four and having fun at the fair, but then I got lost. Next thing I knew, I was in the trunk of his car and I started bawling. My parents can't stop blaming themselves. He also claimed my mom committed suicide from grief, but I'm not too sure, 'cause I don't trust anything that comes out of the asshole's mouth," Blanca muttered.

"Oh, no!" Lorna placed a shaky hand in front of her mouth.

"It's all my mom's fault I was kidnapped...on Mother's Day, of all days. Last thing I remember was brunch at the Four Seasons with my ungrateful bitch of a mom...fuckin' Marka didn't care about me at all! I had made her cookies and a card at six that morning and she didn't pay attention to any of it. My nanny, Paloma, was instructed to put me in a blue dress from Bergdorf's and then she went home to her own kids, which was completely understandable. Then, Marka took us to this fancy hotel to meet my grandma, but between the spa and the shrimp cocktails, she didn't notice me going to the bathroom, nor me never returning. Alex and Blanca led me someplace...and I got no fight skills whatsoever back then, but he had apparently trained them to use knives, and they got me into his grip...by knifepoint, since we were all the same size. Alex was a bit taller, but she didn't have enough muscle. Their weapons made up for it. I begged for help, but of course, nobody heard me." Nicky snorted. "Marka was frantic, but only because it would spoil her reputation to have a lost child and she'd seem like a _terrible mother_ who had _neglected her child_...which was exactly what she did! She was great at seeming like an awesome person in public, just like that motherfucker!"

"That's awful!" Lorna cried, nearly in tears.

"I ain't never had nobody lookin' out for me growin' up...been only in bad foster homes," Taystee informed Lorna. "At eight, I was in the after-school program, but nobody picked me up...the staff believed me when I said I lived near the place and could walk home myself...but it was farther than I thought, and once it got dark, shadows blended into nothin'ness...and I'm on my own and kinda gettin' scared, passing the mouth of an alley. Three kids, you know, Blanca, Alex, and Nicky...jump me from behind...and I'm freakin' out, man. I'm like, this is it. I'm fucked. I tried kickin' em off, but the punk in charge takes over. Then, I'm done for."

This time, Lorna didn't speak-she merely gulped while her face turned whiter than it was before.

"A few days after my tenth birthday, I was bowlin' with Sirena, my friend. Then...it got real late. I knew my dad was doin' deals again. So...I had planned to sleep over at Sirena's, and her parents were about to pick us up because the place was practically empty." Maria looked up at the rotted ceiling and pressed her lips together while shaking her head. "Yo, this car...it slammed into her, distracting her folks while I was dragged into the stranger's vehicle. She ain't dead, I saw her on the news...they called it a hit and run. Nobody ever caught him."

Lorna sniffled and a tear ran down her cheek. "I'm sorry, girls," she told them, and her voice cracked. "I'm so sorry. I...I guess y'all know my story of how I was captured. Why did only two of you get me, though?"

"You a pipsqueak," Taystee stated.

"Yeah, you don't got much meat on your bones," Maria put in.

"Taystee and me are the strongest out of all of us," Blanca added.

The door burst open all of a sudden and Lorna nearly jumped out of her skin. A huge gorilla-like man clomped into the basement and he smirked at them. "You got the runt of the litter to comply, huh?"

"Yes, sir, we did," Alex responded politely with no traces of fear in her tone. Nicky could detect it in her girlfriend's eyes, though.

"Very good. Dinner is prepared." The beast grabbed her hair and yanked her up by it. She stood to her feet immediately as the rest looked on in horror. "Lead the line, cunt. You're lucky I let you own glasses," he growled at her.

* * *

They came into the room, handcuffed to each other. Michelle Carreras gazed longingly at Alex, and the last girl who sat down is one who Michelle doesn't know. She wasn't surprised, because she and the others she was trapped in this confined space with, had also grabbed a terrified girl named Alana Dwight off the streets tonight after she'd wandered out of her house. She was an orphan and in hysterics, since her parents were dead within a week.

The twelve girls didn't converse, but their silence and staring at each other spoke volumes. Each one of them is in pain, and they all knew it. Michelle noticed Flaca Gonzales and Maritza Ramos holding hands under the table. They'd been close for years, four to be exact. Carmen Aziza and Ramona Contreras, also known as Ouija and Pidge in private, were another pair of best friends, since they were four. Michelle played footsie with Alex under the table until she felt a giggle come on and Alex stopped.

The brainwashed cooks set out dishes of disgusting looking food, such as liver, porridge, dead worms, flies, and baby mice. Alana and the other newbie appeared as if they were about to pass out. Nicky put her hand comfortingly on the small brunette's from across the table and squeezed it.

"Don't think of it as anything. You'll get used to the taste," Alex whispered to Alana.

"Easy for you to say!" Alana replied just as softly and then started crying into her hands. "Oh my god..."

"Close your eyes and just eat it," Ouija snapped when a dangerous look appeared on their master's face. He had the resemblance of a mailman, according to Maritza, and he was also a violent cannibal who fed the girls the bones and meat of people he killed as a form of punishment. Except for the two recently kidnapped girls, they all munched upon their meal.

"Yeah, you don't want the alternative," Pidge chimed in between spoonfuls of porridge. "It's even more inhumane."

"Rotting dead bodies with maggots," the sadist hissed loudly into Alana's ear and grinned creepily. A chill went up Michelle's spine and she flinched involuntarily.

"I was afraid at first too," Flaca sympathized with Alana and the other girl. "Then I found out it ain't as bad as... _that..._ or being tortured." She pointed to the tiny girl with brown locks. "What's your name, yo?"

"Lorna."

"Oh...I'm Flaca." They shook hands and then the rest of the girls who Michelle stayed with introduced themselves to Lorna.

"Nice to meet you," Alana told Lorna shyly.

"You, too."

Maritza almost gagged when she swallowed the mouse whole and she turned away when Flaca started picking flies out of her teeth. They swished their mouths with porridge and gulped it down. Michelle chewed on a piece of liver until her jaw turned sore and she choked on the dry meat as it dribbled halfway out of her mouth. She quickly wiped it away with a napkin and her cheeks burned with humiliation. She couldn't believe she had done that in front of Alex.

Blanca and Maria ate the worms like it was no problem, but when they finished, they vomited right on the floor. Taystee held her nose as she slurped the porridge. Lorna and Alana took a few sips of porridge and dipped small pieces of liver into it. Michelle's stomach churned as they reluctantly ate it, but she didn't puke.

She simply held it in.

* * *

"She's not taking any of my calls...it's been almost two hours!" Dayanara Diaz reported to her best friend's sister. "Are you positive she ain't home?"

"Yes, very! She told me she was going for a stroll and then...your apartment!" Franny Morello answered. "We're all panicking over here!"

"So am I!" Daya breathed in and out heavily a few times. "I didn't know she was gonna swing by...you think we oughta call the police?"

"Of course, and arrange a search party. When was the last time you saw her?"

"I dunno...last night? I literally just talked to her three hours ago!"

"I've been working at Starbucks all evening...but I came home as soon as Ma rang me to see if me and Lorna were together. We weren't, obviously."

"Could she be at church...seven somethin' mass?" Daya asked hopefully.

"No, I checked there," Franny responded, and Daya's heart sank. "I even spoke to that fuckin' Christopher's mother, she's not with him neither."

"Okay, well, thanks for letting me know. I'll gather some people."

"Sounds good. Bye."

"Bye!" They hung up and Daya massaged her temples. Her headache grew bigger by the second and her insides were in knots. Her phone vibrated with a text and she groaned in disappointment when she saw that it was just the older boy that she'd been texting with back and forth. "Not now, John," she muttered while rolling her eyes. She dialed Zirconia Cabrera's number and told her to spread the word. Soon enough, there were a bunch of tweens with flashlights who were helping Daya look throughout the neighborhood and surrounding areas, and even traveling on buses.

Thirty minutes later, Daya tripped on a stick, fell against a tree trunk, and slid down it while sobbing helplessly. "Lorna, where the flying _fuck_ are you..."

"Hey." Daya glanced up to see a girl in a hijab and another girl with a slight mohawk and earrings. "We'll find her. She can't have gone far," Allison Basara assured her.

"Yeah, your girl might just be at some dude's house, kickin' it and not wanting to tell you," Poussey Washington tacked on.

"Franny tried Christopher, and Vinny is here, looking for her. I don't know what the hell's going on, but it ain't nothin' good. I just got that gut feeling, you know?"

"I had the same one myself," Zirconia said from behind them, and they turned to face her. "You know when Maria Ruiz went missing two years ago?"

"Missing..." Daya echoed her. "No..."

"Michelle Carreras did at the same time, and I know that because those two were my close chicas."

"Oh yeah, and four years ago, Taystee Jefferson and Maritza Ramos. I had just started to get to know Tays that day," Poussey remembered solemnly. "I regret not asking my pops to take her home with us. I just didn't think of it."

Allison frowned. "Sounds like a pattern. The perp must have gotten another girl besides Lorna."

"Yeah...and my mom's best friend and her daughter disappeared when I was two...it's a shame I never got to really meet them," Daya said sadly.

Cindy Hayes folded her arms over her chest. "We ain't gonna give up."

"Mm-hm," Janae Watson agreed. "Even if she an annoying ass white girl, nobody deserves to be gone off the face of the earth."

"I'll help, too," Tiffany Doggett volunteered.

"So will we," Allison and Poussey chorused, and Zirconia nodded in concurrence.

Adarsh Khanna went up to the girls with Diablo and Yadriel Garcia in tow, one on either side of him. "Count us in," Adarsh told her, and his boys seemed to be on the same page as him.

Daya beamed at their support and wiped her eyes while sniffling. "Thank you so much, guys."

Adarsh gave her a cute smile. "You're welcome."

 **Hope y'all enjoyed it!**


	2. Behind the Sunglasses

**Thank you for beta'ing, A Star In My Universe!—**

 **Note, there are a lot of characters in this story. So not everyone can be in each chapter (like in the show, you see people missing from episodes quite a bit since there's such a large cast). There are five groups of people I will be focusing on, and they are: those who live in Gloria's apartment plus their immediate family, friends, or lovers, the two sets of kidnapped girls, friends of said kidnapped girls, and parents of said kidnapped girls. I'm sorry if I don't include your favorites since I don't want to make these so long that you miss important information, but know that I will put your favorites in the next one! I know you're still waiting for Red, but she's coming, people! Just gotta figure out how...besides her being a lunch lady. She is a friend of Gloria's, though! Sorry if things seem random right now, but everyone's storylines will connect eventually ;)**

 **Behind the Sunglasses**

"Diane?" Charles asked incredulously while looking closer at her. She hid her face with her chest-length brown hair self-consciously. He still was the most perfect man to ever live on this earth and his features were as handsome as she'd remembered. She, however, was a different person. She was now worthless and no longer beautiful. She didn't know why he was even still in the same room as her. She was humiliated at her appearance. Even her eyes had lost the vibrancy in them.

She didn't lift her head for quite a long time. He sighed with sadness at her pain.

"Diane, just look at me in my eyes."

"I can't," she said in one exhale. "Not after...what I've done."

"You didn't do anything."

"Right, I did nothing useful in this life. Our-" she gestured between herself and Charles "-relationship got fucked up because of me. My face and body are fucked up because I married him. My girls and my mom think I'm a fuck up since I let them think I was dead. So yeah, I didn't do a goddamn thing," she said bitterly.

"That's not what I meant! We had a mutual breakup because I was going to police academy in upstate New York and you were off to college here. We just drifted apart, but fate brought us back together. You tried to move on with Lee because you thought he loved you. How were you supposed to know he was a bastard? Your girls and your mom miss you more than anything, I can tell you that right now. In fact, I just saw your ex burning papers outside that were stapled to trees and taped to poles. I'm a police officer, I know a missing person sign when I see one."

"That's how you found me," she figured out aloud.

He nodded. "I admit...I have been wondering where you must have ventured off to after college."

"Gloria and I lived in an apartment in Brooklyn and then I just moved back in with her at the place where we grew up. Aleida joined us when she was seventeen. I had a baby from a deadbeat asshole, also named Lee. She's eleven now. It's been nine years since I last saw my people." Diane hugged her knees to her chest. "Let's go see them...I want to get out of this nightmarish house...I can't stand it any longer."

"You should get dressed first." Charles gestured to her with a sheepish grin.

"Right..."

"Have you eaten anything in the last twelve hours?"

"Not much, why?"

"When I carried you, you felt weightless, and I was worried. Had he been trying to starve you to death?"

"That, and beat me to oblivion."

Charles gritted his teeth. "Shouldn't I take you to a doctor?"

"I'm fine, really. I never need a doctor, since he says my injuries are always healing themselves." Diane leaned back on her hands and let out a loud groan. "Oh god, it hurts everywhere," she said on the verge of tears. She bit her lip, but ended up making the cut bleed. "Oh, shit!" She buried her face into her knees and her shoulders jumped up and down while she wept. "I'm so sorry! You should just leave...I'm such a bad luck charm! I'm a horrible wife! No wonder he had to punish me! I deserved it...I killed my grandma...my own parents abandoned me when I was a baby… nobody cares about me...I made him angry..." She screamed until her stomach hurt and balled her hands into fists. At this point, she was choking on her tears, which were streaming down her cheeks. "Charles, you don't need to look at me...please...I'm hopeless..."

* * *

Every word she said broke Charles's heart a little more. He felt a surge of anger towards her husband and hatred boiled in the pit of his stomach. He'd never had this much rage before, but right now, he was ready to follow Rikerson to the station and kill Dixon for doing this to his first love. He kicked the wall hard and imagined it was Dixon.

"I'm sorry for making you so mad, Charles," a little voice said quietly. "I'm just so scared...if he finds you in here with me..."

He paused. "Diane, no, it's not you, I could never be mad at you. Let me get you some ice. My partner arrested your husband."

"Thank god," she said with relief filling her tone.

He dashed out of the room and returned with three bags of ice. Diane was already standing at her closet and looking for a clothing article while wincing at her hand movements.

"I'll help you pack your clothes. You need ice."

"What I need is something to wear that doesn't make me say 'ow' when I put it on!"

"What about a dress?"

Diane nodded silently and took the bags of ice from Charles. She rested her wrists on the bags and put a bag of ice over her whole face while laying down on the bed.

He pulled a cotton purple dress out of her closet and set it down next to her. He stuffed a suitcase with all of her clothes and helped her sit up. He put the dress over her head and she slipped her arms through the sleeves. She threw the blanket aside as the skirt of the dress came down to her knees. She blushed because she knew she didn't have underpants on.

"It goes nicely with your eyes...brings out the bright blue in them."

She nodded and gave him a small smile. "While I appreciate you doing all this for me, can I have some privacy?" She rolled off the bed and landed on her feet. He left and she put her underpants on while wincing.

"Alright, I'm finished," she announced rather awkwardly. She glanced around her room one last time as Charles came back in and shuddered involuntarily. She needed to get out. "You can take me to my sisters' house now."

"Will do." Charles wheeled the suitcase outside with Diane following him.

"Where's your car?"

A breeze whipped through the air and she shuddered.

"I guess Rikerson took it and he hasn't come back yet."

"Who's he?"

"My partner. He arrested your, uh..."

"Ex husband," Diane finished with a roll of her eyes. "I know, you've told me before."

* * *

Rikerson pulled up next to them and Charles sat in the backseat beside Diane. He opened the door for her, but she wasn't expecting he'd be sitting with her. She couldn't think of anything to say. The suitcase was in between them, which made them not so close together. That was both a good thing and a bad thing _. Good, because she didn't want to be touched by any men whatsoever. On the flip side it was bad because she felt like Charles could protect her if Rikerson tried anything, but since he was blocked by the suitcase, he wouldn't be fast enough. After all, Charles was her savior._ She was on edge until her house came into view. Thousands of memories came flooding back to her.

 _Frieda Berlin dropped three-year-old Gloria Mendoza off at nursery school and she and Diane Vause were nervous about being separated from each other. Diane was only four, but since she'd be five before December, she was allowed to start kindergarten this year._

 _"Bye, sweetheart, I love you," Frieda told Gloria and showered her with kisses. Diane clung to her adoptive mother's leg and gave the small Mexican girl she considered a sister, a one-armed hug. "Love you, sissy," Diane said in a wavering voice._

 _"Love sissy too," Gloria replied. "Hug again!"_

 _Diane bent down to Gloria's level and hugged her as tight as her little girl arms could go. "I'll miss you."_

 _"Miss you more."_

 _Frieda beamed at the girls' interactions with tears in her eyes. "I've got to take Diane to school now. Your tía will pick you up at noon when Diane's class is finished, okay, baby?"_

 _Gloria nodded. "Okay, Frieda!"_

 _"Give me a kiss!" Frieda knelt down alongside Diane._

 _"Mwah!" Gloria said aloud and gave her a wet kiss, and Frieda pulled one of her pigtails._

 _"Now, give your big sissy one last kiss."_

 _Gloria kissed Diane's cheeks and wiped her eyes. "Bye, love you!"_

 _Frieda scooped up Diane and they waved at Gloria while walking out the door. Diane didn't really think about anything else except Gloria until she got into her classroom and had to greet the teacher._

 _"Hello, Diane! How are you today?" she asked cheerily._

 _"Hi," Diane mumbled grumpily._

 _"Diane, say hi to your new teacher," Frieda instructed her._

 _"I did."_

 _"Politely, though, please. I'm sorry, she misses her sister..."_

 _"It's totally understandable. Diane, you can sit right here. Would you like your mommy to stay until class starts?"_

 _"Sure."_

 _The door opened again and Officer Ford came in with his son, who was dressed up as a cowboy. "Freeze!" he yelled at two kids who were play fighting. He held up a toy gun. "Bang, you're a goner."_

 _"Charles," his father scolded him, "don't start playing until you say hello to your new teacher."_

 _"I just said the same thing to my daughter, except for it wasn't 'don't start playing', it was 'say hi to your new teacher politely.' Excuse us for having kids with bad manners. I should have expected it, though, it's her first day being apart from the girl she thinks of as her little sister," Frieda explains to the man._

 _"I'm gonna be like you when I grow up, Daddy!"_

 _The officer ruffled his son's hair and glances over at Frieda. "Oh, poor girl."_

 _"I'm Frieda, by the way." They shook hands. "My daughter is over there, her name is Diane."_

 _"This is Charles."_

 _The teacher interrupted the introductions. "I think everyone is here. The only empty spots for you, Charles, are next to Diane and Barbara."_

 _"Eeew, I don't like boys, they have cooties!" a little blonde girl screeched._

 _Diane wrinkled her nose. "That's not nice!"_

 _Charles shrugged and went over to the seat next to Diane. "Hi, wanna play dress up today?"_

 _"You're allowed to wear costumes to school? I thought I had to stop because I'm a big girl now, that's what Mommy said," Diane said sadly._

 _"I never said you couldn't wear costumes, honey," Frieda said and wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders. "Now, I will see you after school. You have fun, okay? I don't want to hear about any tantrums. Behave, my little one." She touched Diane's nose, which made the child giggle._

 _"Okay, Mommy, love you, bye!"_

 _"Promise?"_

 _"I promise!"_

 _Charles's father kissed the top of his son's head. "Don't be too rough with the girls, buddy."_

 _"Daddy, if I'm gonna be a cop like you, I want to protect people, not hurt them!"_

 _"Yeah, he won't hurt me. I'll kick him to the other side of the room! Ka-pow!" Diane mimicked an explosion sound and hit the bottom of her desk with her feet._

 _"Girl power, all right, that's my sweetheart. Bye!" Both of the parents left the room and class began. The teacher clapped her hands and asked who knew the ABCs._

 _"Are you kidding? That's easy!" Diane pointed out while rolling her eyes, and Charles nodded in agreement._

 _After that, the kids had to partner up and color a picture._

 _"Why are you drawing a sad face over the girls?" Charles asked Diane._

 _Diane pointed to the brown stick figure with black hair. "That's my sister. She's in preschool and she can't go here with me. I'm sad." She tapped her finger on the peach stick figure with brown hair. "And that's me. We hold hands a lot. Sisters forever. We're besties, but we're really close like sisters."_

 _"Well, my mommy and daddy always say to look on the sunny side. We're gonna be here for a long time and your sister can visit us."_

 _"Mommy says she's gonna be here in two years. That's a long time." Diane sighed and put her chin in her hands._

 _"You can see her your whole life, she's your sister forever. That's the sunny side."_

 _"Oh yeah! Thanks, Charles!" Diane smiled and hugged him. "You're my other best friend."_

 _"So are you."_

 _Eight years had passed and it was the middle school dance. Charles had asked Diane to it and she was nervous. She liked him and wanted to wear something pretty, but she didn't want to appear as if she was trying too hard to impress him. Frieda picked out a blouse and a long skirt for her, but it was too plain-looking. After hours of trying on clothes, she found the perfect outfit-a red sequined knee-length dress with spaghetti straps and a black cardigan. Frieda took her to a beauty salon to get her hair, makeup, and nails done, since Diane said that's what the girls her age were doing these days._

 _"Thanks, Mom," she said gratefully and hugged her._

 _"Anything for my lovely girl. Let me take a picture of you."_

 _Diane smiled for the camera and then the phone rang. Gloria and Aleida Diaz rushed to get it, but Gloria picked it up first._

 _"Ooooh, it's a boy calling for Diane!" she said loudly with a giggle. "It's Charles!"_

 _"Shh!" Diane whispered while she felt her face heat up. "Shut up!"_

 _"Charles and Diane, sitting in a tree-" Aleida started to sing, but Diane dragged the seven-year-old she and Gloria were babysitting over to a couch and tickled her until she stopped talking and began to cackle hysterically._

 _"Don't embarrass me! Gloria, take care of her," Diane said exasperatedly. She hoped her makeup wasn't sweating off her face. Gloria handed Diane the phone and laughed underneath the palm of her hand, so Diane pushed her away._

 _"Charles, hi," she said quickly and turned her back on the girls she considered sisters._

 _"Hey, you ready? My dad's ready to take me to your house."_

 _"I'm so ready I could burst! I'm sorry about that noise earlier, little sisters are annoying."_

 _"It's okay. I'll see you soon! Bye!"_

 _"Bye!"_

 _Muffled laughter became loud as soon as Diane hung up the phone. She pointed at the both of them and growled. "You two! Out, now!"_

 _"Uh, oh, we're in trouble..." Aleida moaned._

 _"At least it's just Charles. He's our childhood friend," Gloria said and led Aleida upstairs. "Come on, we can play a game and leave Diane alone."_

 _"He's not just a friend," Diane muttered under her breath. "I love him."_

 _It seemed that Charles felt the same way about her, the way they danced all night and came close to their first kiss, until a chaperone warned them about personal space and reminded them that they were thirteen, as if that was too young for romance to begin._

 _That chaperone didn't know how close the two of them really were. They finally had their long-awaited kiss after Diane's cheerleading practice in freshman year of high school._

Diane blinked a few times, trying to snap herself back to the real world, where she and Charles were no longer that way anymore, and probably would never be again.

When they got to the house, Charles led Diane to the door with her suitcase in his hand. His other hand was at the small of her back and he kept looking over at her. She took one careful step after another and went to ring the doorbell, but stopped in her tracks. Her whole body was shaking and she tried not to fall into him.

"What's wrong?"

"This whole thing seems...silly. They've all...moved on. I'm just a memory to them, I guess."

"They're still looking for you. You'll be their surprise."

"I'll hide behind you, ring the doorbell," she said nervously.

So he did. They heard the chime and then feet running. The red door marked _205_ swung open and a little Hispanic boy stared up at Charles with huge, curious eyes.

"Who are you, mister?" he asked.

"Charles Ford. Are your parents home?"

 _Oh boy._ Diane mouthed to herself. _Keep it together_.

"Mommy! Daddy! Come quick! A man is here to see you!" The little boy jumped up and down.

"Benny, honey, who is it?" a woman called out.

Diane peeked around Charles and saw her best friends and an unknown man walking towards them. At once, the other women's eyes grew as round as saucers.

"Charles! Long time, no see!" Gloria greeted him. She put her hands on her son's shoulders. Gloria had her bangs pushed back by a headband, her hair was to her shoulders, and she was single and shy the last time Diane was here. Now her hair was shorter, almost chin length, she was pregnant, holding hands with a man, they had glistening diamond rings on their fingers symbolizing they were either engaged or married, and a child was calling her 'mommy'. _How did this happen?_

Aleida was right behind them. She had hair the same length as Diane's but it was curly. She, too, had a wedding band, and a sleeping baby girl in her arms. "What brings you here tonight? Did you just join the force?" She shifted the baby more onto her hip so she could shake his hand.

"No, actually, I stumbled upon my first case just now. I was on the Albany police force until I met my ex wife three years ago. That was a disaster, so I came back here. I also brought someone with me, and she's here to stay." He guided Diane closer to the doorstep. "This who you were looking for?"

Gloria and Aleida gasped. "Diane?"

* * *

 _Two days earlier..._

General James P. Washington led his favorite girls to a cab which took them to their new house that his boss bought for his family to live in. It was a very nice house in a quiet little neighborhood, kind of like the one they used to live in, but in a way better environment. The houses were slightly closer together, though. His daughter, Poussey gazed around the neighborhood. "Oh, wow, this is a pretty scene," she commented.

Loud laughter erupted from behind them, and they turned around to see two tweenaged girls, around Poussey's age. The girls were walking into the house next to the one the Washingtons were moving into. One of them was short and was in a stylish brown fur coat and jeans, but the other one was wearing skinny jeans, a dark green peacoat, and a black scarf with flower patterns. She was significantly taller than the girl she was with, about half a foot. The pixie had her blonde curly hair in a ponytail while the taller girl was a brunette. They were linking arms and carrying shopping bags as they walked through the melting snow on the ground.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you got away with that! I would never be able to!" the brunette said with a giggle.

"It's a learned practice. Hey, Pol, looks like we have new neighbors..."

Both girls faced the Washingtons. Poussey did a double take. _Are they twins?_ They looked so much alike, but it seemed like one of them must have dyed her hair. They'd been out shopping so early in the morning. The words _rich_ _white_ _shopaholics_ dashed through Poussey's brain and she beamed to herself, attempting to hold back a snicker. She needed to find another African American girl to poke fun at them with.

"Hi!" The girl called Pol dropped her bags and ran over to Poussey. "My name is Polly Wedge. That's my sister, Jessica. You're new, right?"

So they _were_ related.

"I'm Poussey. These are my moms and pops. My pops is a construction worker here, and my mom's planning to teach art history or somethin' else."

Jessica reached her hand out to shake Poussey's and the sisters were laughing. "It's very nice to meet you...though, is Poo-see a nickname for something, because we've never heard of someone being called _pussy_!"

Poussey rolled her eyes. "It's a French town where I was born! Poo- _say_! Respect the accent, yo," she quickly told them before her parents could intervene. "It's nice meeting you, too."

"Welcome to Queens!" Polly shouted with a small wave. She placed her bags next to Jessica's and joined her sister.

"I'll be painting the new restaurant that my husband's building next to Equality Charter School and I might teach Art History, French, or German," Lila informed the sisters. "It's a pleasure meeting the both of you."

"Mom!" Poussey exclaimed. "Please don't embarrass me!"

"I won't, don't worry."

"You know, you should meet my friend Larry Bloom's mom, Amy. She's an English teacher at our high school. Maybe she can help you get a job," Polly offered kindly. "Ms. Berlin is one, too, but she's kind of scary."

"Oh, thank you, dear. Would you mind pointing them both out to me when I take Poussey to school on Monday?"

"Not at all."

A blonde, middle-aged woman poked her head out the front door. "Polly, Jessica, it's time for church!"

"Coming, Mom!"

* * *

Theresa Gonzales had put on extra makeup today. She wanted to look special for the pastor, even though she knew he wouldn't care if she looked like crap.

After church, Theresa took a trip to the grocery store to buy more milk. She passed an African American woman her height with black hair in a half pony and brown eyes. The woman was wearing jeans and a blue shirt. She looked tired but happy. She had everything in her shopping cart, like she was buying the whole store. She chuckled awkwardly when she caught Theresa staring at her. "I promise I'm not a hoarder. My fridge just happens to be empty."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but notice…are you new? Sorry, but I never saw you before."

"No problem at all. I'm Lila Washington, and yes, I am new. Well, not new, per se...more like I used to live here, but then moved back from Germany, where my husband was stationed."

"Stationed?" Theresa asked. She didn't mean to be nosy, but it just slipped out.

"He's fighting the war in Afghanistan."

"Oh...I hope he's okay."

"He is. In fact, he's home now!"

"That's good. Oh! I'm Theresa Gonzales. So you're Poussey's mom? I couldn't help but overhear the Wedge girls talking to your daughter, so I caught her name."

"Yes! Poussey's my baby. Thank you for saying her name correctly and not making fun of it."

There was a sharp pang at Theresa's heart when Lila said that, but she didn't want to jump into the topic of losing a child. "You're welcome. Hey...your boyfriend seems to really care about you, you know, the way he looks at you with love...holds your hand while you guys are just standing there and meeting my girls...I'm jealous." Theresa smiled while wishing for the moment that Jim would finally kiss her or touch her in some way.

"Boyfriend? Oh, no, James is my husband!" Lila corrected her.

"You guys are cute together. How long have you been married?"

"Thirteen years...we had Poussey right after the honeymoon," Lila admitted with a short giggle. She blushed, probably remembering the night, and Theresa felt the shock that was written all over her face.

"You guys put up with each other for that long?"

"Well, yeah, why wouldn't we? I guess we're just really compatible..."

"Every marriage in New York has problems. My husband and I called it quits after seven years and the only reason we stayed together was…Marisol." Theresa took in a sharp intake of air. She could finally say the girl's name without crying. "I can't speak for everyone else, but I can tell you that the only successful marriage has been Daya's mom and her stepdad. Theirs was recent, but they've been in love for eleven years. It's just really surprising...I'm glad you guys made it that far. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"What do you think are the tips for a successful marriage? My last relationship after my husband...he used me. A tween girl died in this town and he only wanted to get Marisol in trouble for killing her." That lie sounded so much better than the truth.

"Wait, really? That's so young. How horrible."

Theresa sighed. "Yes, it was very sad. Can we keep talking relationships?"

"Well, don't go near anyone who hates your kids, for one thing. Get a guy who appreciates everything you do and loves you for who you are. Don't date a player. Did I cover the basics?"

Theresa nodded with a grin. "What if he's a pastor and I've committed some serious crimes because of financial troubles?"

"If he's not too much of a religious freak, then sure, go for it. As long as you find a better way to take care of your financial troubles and he's got some skeletons in the closet too, then you both shall be fine."

Theresa felt hopeful because of what her new friend had just told her. "I'll talk to him more and try to find out lots of stuff about him. Now tell me, did you really give birth to Poussey? You look about twenty-five..."

"I'm thirty-six! Really, I look young?"

"Younger than me, that's for sure. I'm thirty-nine."

"You look about thirty, swear to god!"

"How about a threesome with you both?" George Mendez sneered with a smirk on his stupid face. Theresa threw him a dirty look and both women walked away quickly.

"Who was he?" Lila asked.

"The most disgusting cop in all of New York...the one who wants to get Marisol in jail."

"Ugh, creepy," Lila scoffed.

"I know. Well, I guess that concludes our shopping trip...I hope to see you again soon!"

"I'm sure you will."

The ladies parted ways and Lila came home with a bunch of groceries and a brand new friend.

Poussey was laying on the couch watching television when her mom walked in. James took the groceries from Lila and kissed her passionately. "How was shopping, dear?"

"It was pretty fun, actually. I ran into Theresa Gonzales and gave her men advice. I think I've got a new friend. Kristen would love her."

"I'm glad. Think we should go on a double date with her and her husband?" James asked.

"She doesn't have a husband...they divorced five years ago," Lila replied.

"Polly told me that she's feelin' the pastor," Poussey cut in.

"Oh! Then I hope they get together!" Lila said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I agree!" Poussey commented excitedly, and James beamed at their enthusiasm.

* * *

Poussey made everyone pancakes in thanks when they helped her get settled in her new room. "So, what made you guys move here anyway?" Jessica wanted to know.

"I got promoted," James lied, probably not wanting to share so much information.

"Don't you miss your friends?" Polly wondered aloud.

"I do, but they'll visit me often," Lila said.

"Yeah, it's alright, not that I had too many friends in Germany, anyway. The ones I do have haven't spoken to me since last night when we said our final goodbyes," Poussey chimed in.

Polly laughed. "You gotta remember you're in the east coast of America now. It's nine in the morning here but it's like six at night in Germany."

Poussey rolled her eyes. "Oh...right...so yesterday morning your time, I suppose."

"Yep!" Jessica chirped.

* * *

After church was over, Jim walked over to Theresa with a huge grin on his face. "So, how did you like the service?"

Theresa fluffed out her black hair. "It was interesting. Oh, have you met my best friend Lillian before?" She wasn't about to mention that she only came to church to see the man she was crazy about. She'd been an atheist ever since her only baby girl was taken from her.

"I've seen her around, but I don't really know her like I know you."

Theresa waved him forward. "Come meet her." He followed her to where Lillian was standing and talking with her daughter. "Girls, this is Pastor Jim."

"You can just call me Jim. It's a pleasure meeting you." He shook the younger girl's hand and then Lillian's.

"You too," Lillian said with a grin.

"Yeah...you too," Cindy echoed him and awkwardly walked away. "Ma, I'mma hang out with my friends, if that's a'ight."

"Sure."

"Well, goodbye, Theresa. I'll call you later." With that, he walked away and Theresa stared after him longingly.

"Girl, you have it bad," Lillian said and put her arm around Theresa. "Oh honey, you should grab him before it's too late!"

"I want to make sure Marisol likes him."

The mood grew somber and Lillian came to the realization that Theresa hadn't taken her pills yet. There's two people inside of her at different stages of grief, denial and acceptance. "Sweetie...Marisol is in heaven, remember?" she asked as gently as she could.

"What the...no, she's visiting her abuela who spoils her rotten with cookies and ice cream galore. You're talking figuratively."

Lillian shook her head and tears glistened in Theresa's eyes. Lillian knew that Marisol disappeared five years ago today and her best friend tended to make her little girl's favorite meal sometimes. "Marisol would want you to go for it, you know, with Jim."

Theresa wrapped her arms around herself and Lillian led her to her empty and lonely house. "Thanks. After everything you've been through, you still find time to keep me on the rails."

"You've had it so much worse. What's a broken heart from some yelling idiot compared to your daughter's murder?"

Theresa sniffled. "Misery loves company."

* * *

"Ms. Gonzales seems happy today," Hassan Abdullah noticed aloud as he crossed the street with Daya to the next block.

She's got a crush on the pastor!" Tiffany giggled as her friends join them.

"I know, right? It's so cute!" Daya squealed.

"I hope it works out for her," Allison said and then Hassan gave her a light kiss on the head.

"Same here," Cindy agreed.

"Oh, it will. Third time's always the charm," Lorna predicted.

"My sister, forever the hopeless romantic," Franny pointed out while patting Lorna's back.

"So, you really think Driving Miss Crazy will actually get him?" Brook asked rudely. "I'm pretty sure he won't want to live in her haunted house where the ghost of Marisol roams around inside the walls." Meadow Ferguson, Brook's best friend, and Polly and Jessica snickered as they walked along either side of her and Brook.

"One Halloween, Soso, she gonna hear that story and kill you or somethin'," Zirconia said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, how the fuck would you feel if you lost a child...or your mom?" Janae asked.

"Five years is more than long enough to mourn anyone. I'm telling you guys, she probably bought a life-sized doll that looks like Marisol and sits across from it at the table every night and puts it to bed or something. She's such a creep," Jessica muttered.

"Why don't you both shut the fuck up? You have no proof, and so what if she does? That's how some people cope," Allison snapped.

"I dare you to go inside," Polly challenged them.

"We already have, to help her out," Adarsh replied.

"She's called me _Marisol_ on more than one occasion," Brook grumbled. "What, does she have Alzheimers or something? I'm not even fuckin' Spanish. Asian is the new white and it's no longer ethnic, in case you haven't heard."

"It's because you have long black hair, Brook," Diablo told her.

Meadow scoffed. "Well, it's stupid."

"You're heartless bitches. Death is not a joke," Daya muttered.

"It is when you're not over the person even after a year or something."

"Some people never heal, Turtle Tank Smellin' China Doll," Tiffany told Brook, who now appears to be offended. Her posse does as well, but the rest of them snigger under their breaths at Tiffany's insult.

"Mm-hmm, you three really gotta stop talkin'," Lorna puts in.

* * *

Poussey searched the crowd for Amy Bloom, since that woman would be able to help her mom get a job at their school as maybe an art teacher. She waved at Polly, and beckoned her forward.

Polly half-jogged to her friend. "Hey, what's up?"

"Does Amy live anywhere in this neighborhood?"

"No, but Larry's coming over right now! Hey!" Polly waved at a dark-haired boy. "New girl wants to talk to you."

"My name's Poussey Washington. I just moved here next door to the Wedges, and my mom's planning to teach at our school. Polly told me your mom was a teacher and could help my mom?"

"Yeah, she is, and she can. We'll have to meet tomorrow morning. Our moms will have to, I mean."

"Okay. Sounds good."

Larry stared at her awkwardly. "Uh, is there any chance you're available?"

"For what?" Poussey narrowed her eyes at him and Polly smirks. "You know, I forgot to mention that I'm an out and proud lesbian. I ain't into dudes. It's cool if we're friends. Peace out, I guess." She stuffed her hands into her pockets and walked away while chuckling to herself and shaking her head. She paused in her step and glanced over her shoulder at Larry, who appeared to be stunned and bewildered. "Oh...and if yo' ass gonna ask out a girl, make sure you real tight with her first."

* * *

"I'm sorry about that. Larry can be an idiot."

Poussey waved off Polly's apology. "At least he didn't push me into dating him or nothin'. I woulda kicked his white boy ass to kingdom come!"

Several other kids around them guffaw. "Damn, your mama raised you good," an athletic looking African American girl commented while smiling, and Poussey instantly remembered her and some of the others she's with. "You finally back in the hood!"

"Hey, girl! You made a rhyme!" Poussey squealed while hugging Janae and then Cindy, Allison, and even her ex-girlfriend, Brook Soso. They had drifted apart because Brook was selfish and a bit racist, but Poussey never erased her from her life completely. She bumps fists with the boys, Daya, and Zirconia. "How's my crew, yo?" Her eyes scanned over the group and she noticed someone new.

"Heyyy!" Cindy and Janae sang together.

"We're good," Allison responded, and Poussey beamed at that.

"How are your folks doin', Brook? Your mom still pressuring you to do piano shit, 'cause we all know you suck so bad you cheat!" Poussey teased her, and everyone got a chuckle out of that.

"Good. Uh, I kinda do whatever I want these days. My mom says I'm getting more rebellious by the minute, but whatever." Brook received a text. "Oh, speak of the devil! It's her, I gotta go! My parents are strict and don't trust me. It was awesome seeing you, though, Poussey. Bye, you guys!"

"Why don't her parents trust her?" Poussey asked. "She used to be so obedient..."

"Oh, it's a long story, which we will discuss when you tell us more about yourself," Polly said. "You haven't even met all of us yet. I'm gonna find Lorna and Tiff."

A mini version of a forties movie star walked past the girls with an older looking brunette. "Oh, sorry guys, I can't stay. Our parents are strict." She glanced at Poussey. "Oh, hey, I'm Lorna..." she introduced herself. She gestured to the girl next to her. "My sister, Franny."

"I'm Poussey!"

A short, wiry brunette with brown pigtails and blonde highlights in them, jogged over to her friends when Brook waved her over. "Poussey, this is Tiffany, but everyone calls her Pennsatucky."

Poussey waved at them. "Nice meeting you both. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow if you live near me, or in school on Monday."

"Yeah, you too!" Lorna said brightly and then she and her sister left the area.

* * *

She'd been scratching her wrists since she was five, digging her fingernails into her flesh until the tips of them became bloody. It was a habit that Flaca could never break, but she only did it when she was alone or all the girls were asleep and she was the only one up. She had no idea how anyone could get a full night of sleep in this dump. Flaca always stayed awake, just to be aware of her surroundings. When her eyes started to droop shut, she'd pinch herself hard. There was no way she'd let any of the girls, including herself, be attacked whilst in their most vulnerable moment. They were forced to take sleeping pills, but Flaca refused. She would pretend to drift off, and that was it. There was always the threat of the chainsaws rumbling above them, in case they were ever to misbehave. She made sure never to get out of bed, since she didn't want to cause trouble. She also had to watch over the others, in case their evil kidnapper decided to come in and harass them for his own twisted pleasure. She especially looked after Maritza, ever since the smaller of the two crawled into their master's car and peered curiously up at her, asking her what kind of donut she was going to get with the nice policeman and why she was in the vehicle. Immediately, Flaca grabbed Maritza's hand and held it tightly. Ouija and Pidge were on the other side of Maritza, but they were already a pair and not as connected to Flaca. She had only apologized to Maritza in the quietest voice possible, and in Spanish, too. The poor girl was so confused, she had no idea what was happening until she was ripped away from the other little girls and hoisted over the terrible monster's shoulder while she begged for food, to call her mother, and to go to the bathroom. She was the one who gave Flaca her nickname, because Flaca was so skinny from malnutrition, a vast difference from the other two, who were quite chubby.

Flaca would die for Maritza, and she knew that Maritza would lay her life down for Flaca.

They all had to learn things on their own. They were potty trained, luckily, but it took Ouija two years to discover that it was disgusting to touch her own waste, as Pidge had taught her at age four with the simple word, _yucky_! It was as if they were frozen at the ages they had been stolen from the lives they knew. They felt decades older than most eleven year olds, but they were still children inside. Flaca didn't need to participate in the snatching of kids her age until Michelle, and then Alana. Their master showered with them, and when they grew older, an African American woman would come in every few days to groom them. She would always say that the reason why they got taken from those they loved, was because they were stupid enough to not be accompanied by an adult or at least another person, like a friend or older family member.

Flaca knew that kids were dependent, and it was whoever was taking care of them's fault, but in her case, the lady could've been right. At five years old, Flaca knew better than to run away, but she did, when her mother had made her stick her nose in the corner for bad-mouthing what she did for a living, which was being a seamstress. Flaca could've just sat quietly next to her so she could concentrate and cuddle with her a bit, but Flaca was being too loud and told her mom that her job was stupid. She regretted it still to this day.

She swallowed hard and held back a sob. "Mama," she whispered shakily in the dark. "Lo siento mucho."

 **I'm so sorry.**

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, Boris Yeltsin, CoffeeWritingAddiction, and A Star In My Universe!**


	3. Sisterly Reunions and a Revelation

**Hey, I know it's been almost a year since I've updated, so I'll give you a little summary of what's basically happened so far to refresh your memory. Diane (Alex's mom) was kidnapped by Dixon, but Charles rescued her. Her best friends from childhood are Gloria and Aleida, and she was raised by Frieda. Two evil men have kidnapped Alex, Nicky, Lorna, Taystee, Maria, Blanca, Flaca, Maritza, Alana, Michelle, Ouija, and Pidge. In the order in which they were kidnapped, one has** **Alex, Nicky, Blanca, Taystee, Maria, and Lorna (who are all around 12), the other has Ouija, Pidge, Flaca, Maritza, Michelle, and Alana (who are all 11). Lorna and Alana are the newest kidnap victims. The double kidnappings happened once every two years. You can re-read or skim the first two chapters if you'd like. It's a little based on Charmed, Pretty Little Liars, and Switched at Birth. Themes are dark, and every character from the show have never committed their crimes. They're slightly out of character, and a lot more soft and innocent.**

 **Warning: abuse, sizeist, and racist language**

Gloria clapped her hand over her mouth and she felt a lump in her throat. Tears were beginning to form, and her sisters' faces mirrored her own. "Are we dreamin'?" she asked.

"If we are, I never wanna wake up," Aleida said.

Diane shook her head no. "I'm really and truly back. Nobody is dreaming. Charles caught my kidnapper."

Gloria and Aleida immediately formed a Diane sandwich and the three of them hugged. Their emotions were in overdrive, and they were crying on each other's shoulders.

"I missed you so much," Aleida wept. "All those times I told you to leave me alone, I was just mad then, okay? I'm sorry that I gave you such a hard time...I didn't mean it..."

Diane laughed weakly. "I forgive you, baby."

"Oh, Diane, you're freezing to the touch!" Gloria noticed aloud and sniffled a few times.

"Sorry, Diane, I would have given you my jacket if I had one on," Charles said guiltily.

"I know, Charles." They shared a look not missed by the other two women.

"What happened to you? Are you okay?" Aleida asked.

It looked like Diane had been in a car wreck, but Gloria knew it was the work of the bastard who took her and her little girl in the middle of the night nine years ago. She'd have to talk to her man and Charles in private about Diane's condition. She didn't want to make Diane feel uncomfortable.

"I'm fine," Diane said, but her eyes were glued to the floor.

"You got a ring?" Aleida asked and pointed to the piece of jewelry.

"I've been so overwhelmed with emotions that I completely forgot...it's been a habit to wear this..." Diane pulled it off her finger and threw it into a nearby trash bin. "That felt _heavy_ , I'm so glad to have it off!"

There was awkward silence, and then Gloria cleared her throat. "So, um, Diane and Charles, this is my fiancé, Fahri," she put her arms around the Arabian-American man, "and our son Benny." She stroked the boy's black hair. "Fahri, this is one of my best friends, Diane, and our longtime friend Charles."

Fahri shook Diane and Charles's hands, and then they knelt down to Benny's level.

"Hi there, buddy," Diane said with a smile and wiped her eyes. "You look so much like your mommy."

"Are you my auntie?"

"Yes, I'm your auntie."

"Mommy talked about you a lot. She was really sad. Why is she sad now? You're here."

"Those are happy tears, Mister Benny," Charles explained.

Benny spun around. "Ohhh...you wanna see my room? It's really cool!"

"Maybe they can see your room later, darling. Let them have a chance to meet Auntie Aleida's husband and little girl, okay?" Gloria could see that Diane and Charles were both tired and she just wanted them to meet everyone as fast as possible.

"Okay, Mama!"

"Diane, Charles, up here!" Aleida turned her baby girl so she could face the newcomers.

"Who is this cutie?" Charles asked.

"How old is she?" Diane wanted to know.

"Her name is Christina, and she's Benny's age...three, but she's a month younger than him."

"Oh, hi!" Diane said to Christina in a quiet, silly voice.

"Hi," Christina replied, but it was almost inaudible.

"My husband is in the bathroom...oh, he just came out! This is Leon, you guys." Aleida walked over to the bald, muscular African American man and hugged him. "Yo, Tina's gettin' real heavy since I been carryin' her for so long. You mind takin' her?"

"Sure, babe." Leon took the small girl from Aleida's arms and turned to face the newcomers. "Hey there!" He waved at the group and shook hands with Diane and Charles.

Gloria looked over at her fiancé and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was. Besides the fact that Diane had been beaten up, she also looked way too skinny for a woman her age and height. She needed to see a doctor, and Fahri would be a good one for the moment. "Charles, can Fahri and I speak to you privately for a second?"

"Sure. We'll be back, Diane." The inspector followed the couple into the living room where they wouldn't be heard by the others.

"Charles, how bad is she?" Gloria asked. To Fahri, she whispered that Charles was a cop, Officer Ford.

"When I found her, she was locked in a basement and covered in bruises and scrapes. She doesn't appear to have any broken bones and I gave her some ice earlier. I asked her if she wanted to see a doctor, but she said no and that her wounds would go away on their own. I would still suggest a doctor for her, though, since who knows how far this guy went with her," Charles reported.

"No matter what she tells you, she needs a doctor."

"Fahri is a doctor, so he knows what he's talking about. He does his work here at home sometimes," Gloria said.

"Just by looking at her, she is malnourished and badly hurt, but doesn't really need a hospital. We'll take care of her. She needs a lot of rest, ice, and food in her belly right away," Fahri said. "You've done your job well, Inspector Ford."

"Fahri, we're buddies now. You can call me Charles."

"I have no problem with that. Now, Gloria's never mentioned you before...you were a friend of theirs?"

"I was Diane's boyfriend and her, Gloria, and Aleida's childhood friend over thirty years ago, and then I lost touch with her and her homegirls."

"It was only Diane who would talk about you sometimes. Aleida and I didn't want to make her upset or nothin'," Gloria chimed in.

Charles shoved his hands in his pockets and raised his eyebrows at Gloria. "She talked about me? What did she say?"

"Nothin' bad," Gloria assured him. "I think it's time for us all to go upstairs since its late, especially for Benny and Christina...and Diane needs her sleep. She's been through hell and back, I'm sure."

They walked back into the foyer when they overheard Aleida and Diane talking to each other.

"Think you got him under your spell."

"It's been eighteen years, I don't think so." Diane's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment when she saw Gloria, Fahri, and Charles return. "Glo, what happened to your bangs?"

"I outgrew 'em..."

"Aleida, you dyed your hair brown, I love it!"

"Thank you."

"Did you finally meet a special someone?"

"Yeah, Leon is the one!" Aleida said excitedly. "Oh, hey, y'all!" The look on her face showed that she realized why Diane changed the subject so quickly.

 _Sorry_ , she mouthed at Diane, and Gloria rolled her eyes at the fact that Aleida never failed to humiliate the oldest of the three best friends, even after years of not seeing her. She thanked her lucky stars that Charles didn't seem fazed by what was said between her girls. Being the negotiator was sometimes difficult, but it was even harder to take a side when Gloria loved both her friends exactly the same but knew one was more right than the other. She was born in the middle and very used to it, but that didn't mean it wasn't annoying.

"Charles, you should get back home. I'll be okay here with my sisters," Diane said, relieving some of the tension in the room. "Thank you so much for everything." They embraced each other and Gloria turned away to give them their privacy. She elbowed Aleida as a sign to do the same.

"Good night, Diane, sweet dreams," Charles said, and Diane responded with, "You too."

The door closed, and then they faced Diane. She was just a bit livid and she tossed a glare at Aleida. "Did you have to say that with him right in the next room? He might think I still love him, and I can't risk him knowing that I still have feelings for my high school boyfriend! I mean, how pathetic is that?"

"I'm sorry, Diane...you know me, the loudmouth."

"It's okay. I don't have the energy to fight anyway."

"Alright, let's get you to bed," Gloria said and put her arms around Diane's shoulders.

"I'm afraid of falling asleep because I don't want to be taken from my bed in the middle of the night. Can I take a shower first? I just want to wash...everything...off of me."

"Of course you can," Aleida replied and linked her arm through Diane's.

They heard the shower water running while putting the kids to bed. Gloria set Benny in his crib after changing his diaper and kissed him on both cheeks. She and Fahri dressed their son in red footsie pajamas. Aleida rushed into the nursery room with a flustered expression on her face.

"I feel so bad about what I did..."

"Don't worry, it's okay. I don't think Charles heard, and if he did, he didn't seem to think anything of it. Hey, let's make her a surprise breakfast in bed, her favorite, which is chocolate chip blueberry waffles, strawberries, bananas, whipped cream, and syrup. She needs to eat a lot, she needs to be doted on, and she loves that shit."

"Just us two?" Aleida wondered out loud.

"That's right. I know she hates being pampered, but she's been so badly damaged that she needs something good to happen on her first full day here."

"I will always remember today's date, January twentieth." Aleida looked confused until Gloria pointed to her watch. "It's already midnight here, and she just got here. We should probably dispose of these and write out flyers that say she was found on January twentieth, two thousand and one." Gloria held up a wad of papers and they read the top line that was in all caps: _Have you seen me?_

 _Last name: Vause_

 _First name: Diane_

 _Last seen: March 4th, 1993_

 _Age: 28_

 _Gender: Female_

 _Hair: Dark brown_

 _Eyes: Bright blue_

 _Height: 5'3"_

 _Race: Caucasian_

 _Date of Birth: September 13th, 1964_

 _If found, please call 911 and bring her to the address on the bottom of this page._

 _Additional Information: She has not called us or been seen since a few nights before her daughter's fourth birthday, and they were both taken from her bed in the middle of the night. She has very striking blue eyes._

Aleida sighed with relief. "Glad we don't have to deal with those anymore. It gives me hope that Alex will come home someday, too."

"Me too. I'm so happy Diane is alive, though." They hugged each other tightly.

"I remember this picture of her...it was taken on your graduation day. She was so happy for you...and I loved her smile in the picture."

"I did too."

"We gots to be quiet, the baby is sleeping!" Benny piped up and pointed to his cousin lying in the crib next to him.

"Oh right, in the middle of all this, I completely forgot that Leon put Emiliano down for the night. Sorry, buddy," Aleida whispered, and Gloria kissed her son goodnight.

"Night night, little baby, I love you." Gloria cooed at Benny.

"Nighty night, Mommy, love you too!"

Aleida placed a Spiderman plushie next to the little boy and kissed two fingers and laid them on his forehead, which made him smile and mumble something like, "Love Tía Aleida."

Gloria turned on the purple, cloud-shaped nightlight in the room, shut off the light, and closed the door halfway. The light from the hallway was left on.

"He's two and a half now, you gotta get him a big boy bed soon," Aleida commented as they left the room.

"Are you kidding? He's so tiny, I'm afraid of losing him in a bed...maybe when he's like, four. That's when I started sleeping in a bed."

"How do you remember that stuff?"

"Lourdes' stories, ones you weren't there for most of the time, because you thought you were too cool for family," Gloria said matter-of-factly.

"Well, I've matured."

"I know you have."

The door opened and they turned around to see Diane. "I thought you was takin' a shower?"

"Fuck this shit, I was afraid to ask...but that monster told me my little Allie was dead, please tell me he's lying and that you've found her and she's just out with friends or something..." Diane looked at them imploringly. "I need her...I want her to come home and see her mama."

The mention of Diane's daughter's name brought a crushing sensation to Gloria's heart. Alex was like her niece, just as much as Daya was, and she wished so much that she could assure Diane that Alex was okay. "I'm so sorry about Alex, we never found her..." Gloria trailed off sadly when she saw tears forming in her best friend's eyes.

"We wanted that motherfucker to be lyin' so bad, but he ain't," Aleida put in.

No..." Diane's voice broke and she practically fell into Gloria and Aleida while trembling violently. "My baby...she can't be just...gone..."

They hugged her between them as she wept hysterically.

* * *

The chainsaw roaring above them ceased, but was soon replaced by another booming noise. Lorna startled herself out of sleep and rubbed her bleary eyes open while pulling her thumb out of her mouth. She hoped that last night was a terrible dream and she puked her guts out because she ate too much of her mother's lasagna. Looking around the desolate space with the bloodstained walls and the dirty ceiling, though, she sadly realized that wasn't the case. She was cramped between Nicky and Alex on a large, ugly, moldy, worn out mattress that was more hard than soft. A spring had dug into her side and the only thing covering the girls was a tattered, itchy brown rag. They were naked and so cold and uncomfortable. The so-called bed smelled like urine, toxic waste, and vomit. The awful scents alone were enough to make anyone pass out, so she wasn't sure why they'd need sleeping pills. The stench and appearance of the whole lower level of the house was disgusting, so everyone held their noses and breathed in and out through their mouths. According to Alex, the girls had to clean up their own messes without anyone else's help, starting from when they were toddlers. Their kidnappers always blamed them for the state of the rooms. The monsters lived like kings upstairs, Lorna had heard.

"Get the fuck up, cunts!" the sadistic monster yelled and banged the door with the police baton again, making them jump. "It's time to shower and eat a hearty breakfast. I better see you in the bathroom in two minutes!"

Groaning softly, all six girls rolled out of bed and massaged their aching muscles. They covered their chests with one hand and their crotches with the other. Lorna stayed so close to Nicky that their hips touched as they walked together. They had stuffy noses, as the mattress was filled with mildew and dust mites.

"Jesus, Lorna...that's a nasty bruise already," Nicky pointed out.

"Ya think?" Lorna snapped. She hadn't even glanced at it yet, but it feels so painful. Upon looking down at her injury, though, she gasped out loud. It was a round, dark bluish-purple mark.

"You need ice," Alex murmured.

"I know how to keep swelling down, thank ya very much," Lorna grumbled. "I doubt I'll get it, though, with the horrible conditions here."

"Stop squawking and get a move on!" the beast hollered at them as they pass him. With his enormous hands, he pushed Blanca and Maria into Taystee, and then snickered. They caught themselves on each of her arms until they were able to walk steadily again. "You're too fuckin' slow, spics. The two of you should just go around that fat blob."

No one talked until they got into the bathroom. He pointed at Lorna. "Okay, runt, here's some things you need to understand. There's one toilet, and one shower. You all share it. The rule is you stand in line and watch the cunt in front of you go through a cleansing. You do not get privacy. Got that?" She nodded solemnly.

"Let me hear you say 'yes sir!'" he demanded.

Lorna jumped slightly. "Yes, sir," she said meekly.

He bent down close to her face and glared at her. "That doesn't sound like you mean it!"

"Yes, sir!" Lorna repeated in a louder voice. She stood up a little straighter, not liking the hateful expression on his square face.

"Good, but you're still weak." He smirked and shook his head. "Not at all surprising. You're fucking ugly, too." He stood up and his eyes passed over the group. "Just like the others. I've always hated women and girls, and I've never wanted to screw one either." He stormed out, chuckling to himself, and the door slammed shut. The bang sounded so definite.

"Oh, thank god he's not into us sexually. Wait, is he gay?" Lorna asked. Everyone nodded their heads yes in unison and Lorna breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, I guess. My sister Franny and my mother have always warned me about bad men wanting to do awful things to me."

"No...Stratman always comes in to do bad stuff and hurt us in the shower," Blanca told her glumly, and Lorna's heart stops for a second as her stomach plummets to the floor. "We call him Ratman behind his back, 'cause he's a rat. He starved me for two days."

"He kicked my butt so much last time that it hurts to sit down," Nicky added.

"He knocked me flat on my back and I hit my head on the faucet, and I could hear him laughing while I went down," Maria went on.

"He's anally and vaginally raped me a few times," Alex put in.

"He's always racist and nasty to me about my weight," Taystee said.

Lorna's heart broke for them and she felt tears well up in her eyes. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "I'm sorry, girls..." Her own fear of him rose inside of her and she gasped in and out quickly. "I don't think I would survive a sexual assault...I'm...I'm too small."

The door opened and the animal Lorna assumed is Stratman, strode in. He looked her up and down and she shuddered, suddenly feeling queasy and much too exposed. He licked his lips. "Wow, Desi wasn't kiddin' when he told me you were the runt of the litter. That's sexy to me, but he also said you had a squeaky voice. Interesting, since you've already gone through puberty." Ratman went up to her and grabbed her breasts. The girls looked on in horror, and Lorna desperately wanted them to try to fight him off her, but she knew they were scared for their own safety, and something worse would happen to her. She tried to struggle, but he simply groped her butt cheeks, flipped her upside down like she was a ragdoll, and wrapped her legs around his neck. She couldn't see what he was doing anymore, and it wasn't like she wanted to anyway.

As he stepped into the tub with her in his clutches, she could feel his sharp teeth clamp down into the tender region between her legs. A pained cry escaped her while he turned on the water for the shower. It was freezing, but it didn't stop her from shaking and sweating.

* * *

After taking her pills, Diane immersed herself in alcohol while flipping through old photos of her late daughter until she sank down dizzily on Alex's made toddler bed. She hallucinated Alex's dimpled smile and her sweet little giggle and then she heard a child crying out for her. She knew it wasn't really Alex, but rather, the wine consuming her thoughts.

 _"All right, time for din-din...it's just us tonight, since Auntie Gloria is at her bodega and Auntie Aleida is in school. Let's make a pizza! I got everything we need."_

 _"Yummy in my tummy!"_

 _"Yes, honey, now, you ready to be my little helper?"_

 _"Yeah, Mommy!"_

 _"Okay." Diane led her to the counter and handed her some dough. She lifted Alex up so she could put it on the cutting board and showed her how to roll it out into a nice circle. Alex had fun spreading the sauce around and trying to make sauce handprints on Diane's cheeks so of course, she just had to cover Alex's little nose with sauce. She then sprinkled the cheese on the sauce and ate another handful._

 _"No, darling, you'll spoil your appetite." Diane sighed as she swallowed it. Oh well, she's a kid, Diane had to let her be one._

 _"Mmmm!"_

 _"It does look good," Diane agreed. "Now, let's put it in the oven. Don't stand too close," She moved Alex away as she put the pizza in the oven for it to cook. "Why don't you pick out a movie for us?"_

 _"No why!" the two-year-old squealed happily, running to the VHS tape collection and pulling out_ Snow White _._

 _"It's_ Snow White _, sweetie," Diane corrected her, combing her fingers through Alex's hair. "Now you can set it up for us; the pizza is almost done."_

 _"Yay!" She skipped over to the television set and put the tape in, and it started to show the commercials before the movie. The pizza was ready just as the movie began. "Dat me!" Alex sang out as Snow White came onto the screen._

 _Diane cut up the pizza in squares, just the way Alex liked it. "Careful, this is gonna be hot." She handed the child a plate and napkin as she sat down. "You're a wonderful cook!"_

 _"Thank you, Mommy!" she said, delighted with herself._

 _"You're welcome, angel."_

 _They watched the movie together while eating their pizza and laughed at the funny parts and cried at the sad parts._

 _After dinner and their movie were over, Diane washed the dishes and instructed Alex to get in the bathtub. She loved taking a bath, especially when Diane put bubbles in it. She poured Snow White soap into the tub while Diane ran the water, and they both watched the bubbles form. Alex stuck one hand in the tub. "Cold!"_

 _"Just wait, baby." Diane tousled her hair a little. Then, she tested the water a few minutes later. "There, just right. Okay, little missy, scrub-a-dub-dub!" Diane put her in the tub and Alex started splashing her jean-clad legs. "_ _Whoa, don't splash me! What did I ever do to you, huh?" Diane teased her and then started to tickle her. Then, she got down to business-she shampooed Alex's hair and washed her body and then she was all clean. After drying her off, Diane let her loose in their room and she puts her pink Polly Pocket pajamas on all by herself._

 _"You all ready?" Diane asked when she finished getting her sweats on._

 _"Yes, Mommy!"_

 _"All right, good girl. Let me set up the pillows...and here's a spot for you, right next to me." Diane sat down, leaned back against the pillows, and pats the spot next to her. Alex's tiny body was soon close to Diane's side, and she pulled her baby girl into her lap. Alex reached up, grabbed Diane's earring and yanked. "Oh, ow!" she exclaimed, gently removing Alex's hand from her dangling earring. "My earrings aren't toys."_

 _"Sorry, Mommy." Alex apologized, looking down._

 _"It's not your fault. Now, do you want to hear a song or a story first?"_

 _"Story! Book!"_

 _"It's not from a book. It's from my head."_

 _"Mommy magical?" Alex gazed up Diane in wonder._

 _"No, my angel, I'm great at telling stories. Now...once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Ashley. She lived in a huge castle on top of a hill in Spain. She was forced into marriage at age thirteen, to an evil king, to help her selfish parents get rich and have their daughter be queen of Spain, when all she really wanted was to be a teenager. Years later, the girl grew to be a young woman, about eighteen, and she finally escaped his rule. She fell in love with a man named Daniel. He loved her because she was the prettiest lady he'd ever seen and she had the kindest heart of anyone. He protected her and loved her forever and always and they even had a little girl named Selena Rose. They all lived a happily ever after," Diane recited, tapping Alex's nose._

 _"Yay!" She clapped._ _"I a princess too?"_

 _"You're_ my _princess," Diane murmured, looking down at Alex and smoothing back her dark hair. "My little princess. I love you so much!"_

 _"I love you," she echoed. "La la la la love," she sang._

 _"Go to sleep, baby, it's beddy-bye time. Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."_

 _"Night," was her reply._

Diane remembered their mother-daughter tea times they'd have with Aleida and Daya.

" _Mama!" one-year-old Alex said for the first time while holding her hands up to grab Diane's._

 _She smiled and picked her up. "You called me Mama!"_

 _"Love you. Love me?"_

 _"Yes, baby, I love you too!"_

 _"Want Daya."_

 _"Allie," Daya said from Aleida's arms._

 _"I know, nena, come on, we'll go see her." Aleida and Diane brought the two little girls together in the playpen and went back to watch them play together._

 _"Aren't they adorable? They'll be best friends, just like us," Diane cooed._

 _"Like sisters," Aleida says, smiling at her best friend._

 _"Come to Grandma," Frieda urged Alex._

 _"Come on, Daya," Aleida's mother said, waving her hands forward._

 _Alex and Daya got up with shaky steps and held on to each other. They looked so adorable, brunette and raven haired together. They slowly walked toward their grandmothers, but then Alex started to fall, pulling Daya down with her._

 _"Oh, honey, are you okay?" Frieda asked, picking up Alex. Mrs. Diaz picked up Daya and jiggled her a bit on her lap._

 _"Otay," Alex said, and giggled._

 _"Ya," Daya said after her._

Diane burst into tears upon realizing Alex can never attend those special events again.

* * *

The first day of school was exciting for Poussey. She was happy to have friends to eat lunch with and hopefully they'd all be in the same classes. She and her mother met with Mrs. Berlin before her first period class started. A white, middle aged woman with straight brown hair tied up in a low, tight ponytail, rose from her desk and walked over to them. "Hi, you're Poussey and Lila Washington? I was told you wanted to see me."

"That's right," Lila said. "I want to teach art here, possibly. I was an art history major in college."

"Neat! There's no positions open, but they need more substitute teachers. You could apply for that if you want."

Lila smiled. "Sure. My daughter takes art, so I don't want to humiliate her by teaching her class."

Mrs. Berlin laughed a bit. "Poussey, you know my kid Daya, is that correct?" a Spanish accented voice asked.

Poussey turned to face a Puerto Rican woman who couldn't possibly be more than twenty-five. "Yeah."

"She's in my Spanish class and it works out for us. We don't really make it too obvious that we're motha and daughta. I treat her just like any other student and the best part for her is, that pop quizzes ain't always a surprise to her. She makes sure I'm doin' a good job at teaching and it helps to have someone critique your work, like I wanna know if I'm being too hard or easy on the students. Also, if she needs help with an assignment or has a question, she don't have to wait more than two minutes for my answer. I think she enjoys having personal relationships with teachers." Poussey noticed something more was hiding behind the lady's smirk and she had no idea why. She'd just have to ask Daya for an explanation.

"My daughter was in my class too, when she was your age," Mrs. Berlin added. As soon as she spoke the words though, sadness passed over her features, but it was gone a second later.

Lila squeezes Poussey's shoulder lightly. "It could be fun having you in my class. What do you think, honey?"

"Aw, _Mom_!" Poussey whines. "We could try it, but you can't just pick and choose your classes."

"I know that. I'm going to do more job hunting, so see you after school, okay?"

"Okay, cool, bye!"

"Bye! I love you!"

"You too."

Mrs. Berlin's class turned out to be pretty great. Poussey sat between Allison and Daya. They're reading _Romeo and Juliet_.

"I did this play in eighth grade, but we signed the whole thing. My homie Aliyah was Juliet." If Poussey didn't even think about Taystee, who was her true best friend in elementary school, she wouldn't choke on her words. She and Aliyah were very close, but the girl would never fill the void Taystee left in Poussey's heart. She needed to focus on the here and now, anyway.

"Oh, neat!" Daya commented.

"Is she deaf?" Allison asked.

"Nah, her cousin is. They both do American Sign Language and same with my other friend, Mikey and his ma, who lost her hearing in a crazy-ass fight. I learned a lot from them. I could teach you some basic signs, like _I love you_ is this." She put her hand in a fist and raised her thumb, index finger, and pinky. The girls copied her.

"It's like a secret language, yo!" Janae exclaimed.

"That's mad cool, Poussey," Cindy added and then grinned.

History class was a snore and it seemed like Ms. Ferguson had it out for Piper. She had a giant chip on her shoulder and Piper appeared as if though she wanted to puke. Polly mimicked gagging upon seeing the teacher. Poussey leaned over to whisper in Piper's ear when Ms. Ferguson is far away from them. "What's up her ass?"

"She's my dad's mistress."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Poussey's next class was Earth Science, which both Allison and Brook are in. She was paired up with a geeky girl named Stephanie Hapakuka, since they're the only two without partners. By the end of class, Stephanie asked, "Do you want to have lunch together?"

"I'm already eating with Zirconia, Piper, Daya, Allison, Janae, and Cindy, but thanks. You can join us."

"I would love to, but I hate Piper. I'd never let myself come near her or her posse and be talked down to."

"That's too bad."

Math sounded like a nightmare and a nice girl named Suzanne Warren offered to be her tutor if she ever wants to go to the library and study. Allison and Brook are also in this class.

In art, she sat at a table with Daya and a blind girl named Maureen Kukudio. They were doing self-portraits today and she did her famous drawing of herself surrounded by the city lights at night. Ms. Fischer was impressed and showed it to the other students as an example. "If you can't sketch something as good as this, then get out of my class. I want you guys to have fun, not struggle through it." She's harsh, but Poussey is glad to be on her good side.

"Damn," one girl muttered. "You're good."

"Thanks. My mom is an artist, so it kinda comes naturally to me."

"Same here," Daya said. "We're the best in the class." They both laugh softly. "Maureen can make a mean clay pot, though."

"Yeah, I poke holes in it and put a light inside so when it dries, I'd spin it around and specks of light would show on the walls. I just wish I could see it. I bet it's as beautiful as Daya said it was."

Poussey smiled at the fact that Maureen doesn't let her disability stop her from accomplishing anything, much like the two women she knows with hearing impairments.

"Okay, ladies, enough chatting, continue working!" the teacher scolded them.

Lunch was afterwards. Poussey met up with her friends. They sat together at a table and started eating ham and cheese sandwiches from the cafeteria. An Asian girl took a seat next to Piper. "Hey, Pipes, after this, can we go warm up before swimming?"

"Sure!"

"You're swimming in January?" Poussey asked, almost horrified. "I'm freezing just thinking about it!"

"We have a dome they put over the pool in the winter," Piper said quickly. "Besides, it's not that bad when we get ourselves going in the water."

"Pipes is a swimmer, like me. She can handle it," the new girl added. "I'm Charlene, by the way. Pipes and I are best friends."

"Oh, well then, that's cool. Nice to meet you! My name is Poussey."

"Awesome. Hey, Poussey."

"Hey."

* * *

Aleida had fun filling in for the Spanish teacher in sixth period. She could speak the language fluently. It will be a little hard for Daya, but still, Aleida loved to see her daughter whenever she could.

"How was school?" she overheard Lila asking Poussey ten minutes after the final bell went off. She knew their names since Daya told her. She had gone outside to get some fresh air.

"Excellent, I loved my classes, teachers, and my friends were in some of them. Hey, what other jobs did you seem interested in? I'm kinda sad you weren't in my art class, by the way. The teacher loved my original piece!"

"I knew she would. I'm so proud of my baby." Lila kissed the top of Poussey's head. "Well, I substituted for an art lesson today and there's some art teachers around the area that are on maternity leave or vacation, so I'll be taking their places temporarily. The salon is still a work in progress since people don't really know me here. Who would come?"

"Well, Ma, I suppose people who want their hair styled!" Poussey said sarcastically.

Their conversation faded as they got into the car and Lila drove away. "That's funny, I wanna run a salon, too," Aleida muttered to herself. "I guess I'd need money to buy it..."

"Ma!" The sound of her daughter's voice caused her to spin around. Daya half jogged up to her. She almost appeared to be devastated, so Aleida thought it would be a good idea to take her mind off things.

"Hey, I've just decided I'm going to be a maid for a hundred dollars per week. It's all for _Aleida's salon_. I'm already putting up flyers."

"Mom, no! You can't be a maid! Leon would go ballistic and be overprotective with very good reason! You know how white people treat maids of color, with disrespect. You've even told me never to become one! You said that was a low-class job!"

Aleida sighed impatiently. "It ain't my dream job, Daya, but I gotta take it. I need the money, okay? Yo, look on the bright side, I ain't gonna be a prostitute."

"I hope you'll tell whoever hires you that you're not to be messed with. You know what Abuela Irma would say."

"Yes, I'll say I'll only do the work if they weren't hiring me just because I'm Latina, and they should understand that."

"Oh, good!" After a moment's pause, Daya frowned. "Ma, no one saw her today. We didn't even talk about it, like...Piper told us not to say nothin' 'cause she wanted to impress the new girl, and the depressed look ain't good on nobody." Aleida sighs sadly and puts her arms around Daya while pecking her temple. "We all had to distract ourselves...we know Lorna's missing, has been for a couple days, goin' on three...and Poussey wouldn't even remember meeting her on Saturday, it was just for a few seconds," Daya mumbled into Aleida's shoulder. "Ma, I just wanna go home...I'm tired of keeping my tears away and pretending everything's alright, and I don't wanna cry in front of the school." Daya's chin quivered and she took a shaky breath in and out. "Oh my god..."

"I'm so sorry, nena," Aleida told her sincerely. "I'll call Frieda and ask her to take us back to the house."

"Okay...hold up, who's with Diane? She shouldn't be alone, especially after she found out that Alex is...who the fuck knows where. Nine years later, and my best friend is still gone. I call her that, but I barely remember her, only from pictures and stories you've told me. We were three and four, you got no memories from before you five. What if they never find Lorna either?"

"Try not to think like that, baby. Diane told us that she needed her space, and we respected that...as long as she checked in with us when we texted her. I just did, and she said she's just napping. The house is tightly locked up, so no one can ever take her again. Leon fixed that window a long time ago. It's impossible for anyone to come in from the outside unless they've got a key, and a rock smashing through glass would wake us all up in time to save her, and she could run away. She's safe at our place now."

"I'm glad," Daya told Aleida. "We can go to Starbucks instead, then, if Diane wants privacy."

"That's a good idea," Aleida agreed.

When they arrived at Starbucks, they saw Galina Reznikov, whom everyone called Red, amiably talking to a man wearing a green apron. Lida, her son Vasily's girlfriend, went up to him when Lorna's sister Franny pointed out that he owned the place. Lida was probably applying for a job there. Aleida didn't know how Franny could come to work with all that's happened, but perhaps she was distracting herself.

Aleida went about her business and bought a coffee and a blueberry scone for herself and Leon. She sat on one of the couches and started to eat.

* * *

When Gloria came into Starbucks, Aleida's face broke into a smile. "Hey, Glo!" she greeted her cheerfully. They shared a hug.

"Lei, hi! We should go visit Diane. She could use some girl time, she said…and then maybe we can coax her to join Trina and Chad Flores' support group."

"Oh, okay, but I'm going to drop this off at my husband's construction site first. Come with me?" Aleida asked.

"Of course!" Gloria noticed that Red was finished chatting with the new owner and was now heading in their direction as he walked into the backroom. She waved at them with a smile, and they returned the gesture.

"I witnessed you flirting with Franny's boss," Aleida pointed out with a smirk.

Red's cheeks flushed. "Yeah, well, I was just humoring Kubra. I don't think I want to jump into a relationship at the moment. I don't trust men after my hamster of a husband cheated on me with a college graduate. This guy...he's nice and attractive, but I'm way out of his league and a decade older. So many women go there just to chat him up. They don't want anything to eat or drink!"

"I used to feel that way about Fahri, like I was wary of guys, but now look at us!" Gloria exclaimed. "Just take things slow."

"Oh, I will. I'm just not sure if Kubra will do the same. He gave me his phone number and asked me for mine, so I typed it into his phone. We've been friends for a while, so it's not weird."

"That's good," Aleida commented and Gloria nodded in agreement.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation earlier. Do you think I would be accepted in the support group?" Red wanted to know. "Franny spoke to me a bit about it, too...her mother Stansie is going, but she isn't. She has to care for her little brother and her father. Lorna was like a niece to me... _is_. I have to have faith that whoever took her, didn't kill her."

"I'm positive that anyone who's lost a child, or just wants to be there for support, is more than welcome to join," Gloria assured Red, and the Russian woman grinned a bit.

"Yeah, we comin' with Diane, if she chooses to go," Aleida put in.

"I cannot believe that poor woman is home at last, only to find that her daughter is still missing!" Red exclaimed. "I remember that they were very loyal customers at the Russian market...you all were."

Gloria and Aleida smiled at the memory. "You'd always give the children free samples of sweet pastries you made," Gloria murmured, and Red nodded.

"Why don't you visit her with us later today? She'd be happy to see you again. You know the address, right?" Aleida asked.

"Sure. Yes, I've got it memorized," Red told her.

"Perfect, see you then!" Gloria said.

"See you!" Red exchanged hugs with both ladies, and then they left.

* * *

Leon was very grateful when Aleida gave him something to eat and drink along with his ice water. He was hammering away at nails and lining up floorboards in the dirt. Two young teenage boys, probably no older than fourteen or fifteen were helping him. Gloria thought she may have seen them around the school before, grabbing lunch in the cafeteria or hanging out with Daya and her crew. "Thanks, baby," Leon said and kissed Aleida. "You can take a break, grab some water," he said over his shoulder.

"You're welcome."

"Aleida, Gloria, these hard workers here are Dario Garcia and Adarsh Khanna. I'm paying them. Guys! These are my lovely wife, Aleida, and our best friend and sister, Gloria."

"Hey!" the boys shout with a wave, and Gloria and Aleida smile at them.

"Hi," they said in unison.

"Well...you have a nice rest of your day!" Aleida told him.

"Thank you sweetheart, you too!" Leon beamed at her and she smiled instantly. Their love for each other made Gloria swoon and get even more excited for her upcoming marriage to Fahri. The best part was that Diane would be able to see it, but what would make it all even better is if Alex were to finally come home. She prayed for the girl every night, and she started doing that for Lorna, too.

Leon kissed Aleida goodbye and the boys saluted the ladies before they left.

* * *

The women made their way to their home. Gloria knocked on the door, but there was no answer.

"She's not home?" Red asked.

"No, she most likely is, her plan is to never go out. I'll give her a ring," Gloria muttered while pulling her phone out of her purse.

"You don't have keys to the place? I thought you all lived here, so you can walk in whenever you wanted."

"We do, but I let Daya borrow my set since she's with her abuela, and Gloria left hers in the house by accident," Aleida explained.

She and Red waited as Gloria dialed Diane's number. The other woman hung up a minute later. "She didn't pick up. There's a spare key under our mat. I'll check up on her." Gloria reached beneath the brown mat on their porch, pulled out a silver key, and unlocked the front door. "Diane? Are you home?" she called out. They stopped in one of the rooms where Diane was laying on a couch with an empty bottle of wine in her lap and her eyes closed. A bag of ice was on the floor.

"She's passed out," Red pointed out. "Erica Jones has been in her position way too many times to count before she started teaching yoga. She used to be an alcoholic and now, she can't ever have a drink. She admitted that even just a sip is too tempting, so she stays away from it altogether."

"I'm glad she weaned herself off of her addiction, but I wouldn't say Di has a substance abuse problem like Erica did...she's just understandably stressed out and wanted to relax when it all had gotten too much for her. It's rare that she's like this. She had a hangover this morning, so she wanted to sleep in and be left alone…until now, I suppose." Gloria sat down on the ottoman beside Diane, took the bottle, and put it on the coffee table. She smoothed Diane's hair back from her face. Red's heart broke upon seeing all of Diane's injuries.

"Yo...you got some company." Aleida murmured while squeezing Diane's hand softly.

Slowly, the brunette opened her eyes and her best friends helped her sit up. "Hi, Diane," Red greeted her with a grin.

"Hey! It's nice seeing you again," Diane mumbled tiredly while rubbing her eyes. "Fuckin' nine years later. Ugh, what time is it?"

Gloria checked her phone's clock. "It's a quarter past four."

Diane groaned and stretched. "Did I finish all that in one sitting?"

"I guess you did," Aleida said. "That's dangerous, though. I ain't letting you have no more. We gonna pour you a glass for dinner and then we gotta take the rest."

Diane rolled her eyes. "When the fuck did our roles get reversed?"

"I'm sorry, but you're our best friend and drowning yourself in alcohol isn't the answer. You could die from drinking too much, and Aleida and I can't lose you."

"I know...I understand, Gloria."

Aleida and Gloria went into another room. "I'm so sorry to hear about your baby and all that you went through," Red told Diane quietly.

Diane offered her a teary smile. "Thank you. You don't gotta worry about me, though, I'm home, but my daughter isn't. I can't imagine the torture that's being inflicted on her, if she's even alive...I don't wanna think about it."

Gloria, Aleida, and Red stayed in the house with Diane until she sobered up. They convinced her to join them in the group therapy session that's being held at Juliana Ramos' large home, which could be considered a mansion. It had three floors, a swimming pool, and a tennis court, and all Red could think of was, the woman lives by herself, and it must get very lonely there.

Red listened to the devastated parents' stories about how they lost their children and when, and she teared up, along with Gloria and Aleida. All of them, except for Marka and Les Nichols, had despair in their voices. They looked solemn, broken, and lost. Some of the women's eyes appeared as though they'd been crying or were about to. Diane had sunglasses on, concealer covering the mark on her forehead, and a thick coat of red on her lips to mask the severe cut on her mouth.

"I'm just annoyed. When the hell are they gonna find Nicole?" Marka shook her head.

"Our reputation is ruined…it looks bad to have a missing child. Now, we look like terrible parents," Les complained.

"You are!" Red snapped angrily. She turned to Marka. "How do you lose your six-year-old daughter on Mother's Day?! You should have been with her the whole time! Laziest parents ever, naming your baby _Nicole Nichols_!"

"I was. She ran off. We're human, adults make mistakes, just like kids do!" Marka protested.

"Of course, but we actually own up to it and put ourselves at fault, because a little one can be rebellious and squirmy, just like our Blanca!" Trina retorted.

"You and Les shouldn't even fucking be here. I bet you didn't even hold your girl's hand!" Diane hollered.

"She let go," Les informed Diane, but she just glared at him.

"Then you grab her as fast as you can," Chad told him in a strained voice. "You gotta watch her every second…that was the biggest error we'd ever made…letting that irresponsible dimwit of a babysitter take our daughter to the fair!"

"Hey, could you two just get the fuck out?" Diane yelled at Marka and Les through gritted teeth. "You're about to give me a panic attack, and same with every other parent here! Galina doesn't have a missing kid, but she's got three sons, and she _still_ feels pain in her heart for us and our babies, including yours." Her voice rose a few octaves. "If you can't be human and actually think about and miss your goddamn daughter, you deserve to be in prison for neglect, you pieces of shit!" Red noticed that Diane was shaking with anger, and the other parents look on, stunned. Aleida and Gloria appeared to be proud of her, too. She had just said what Red had been wanting to tell Mr. and Mrs. Nichols ever since she heard them speak. A few strands of Diane's hair were hanging in her face, and she brushed them out of the way.

Marka scoffed. "You can't just banish us, you're not even in charge. You just got here."

Diane slammed her hand on the table and everyone jumps. "I would've started this whole thing the day Allie was declared missing, but I was locked in a fucking basement, and I had been for nine years until yesterday!"

"Calm down, lady, we're well aware of that," Les mutters. "It's just-"

Trina glanced at Chad and they had a conversation with their eyes that ended with them nodding at each other. "No, Diane is right, I would like you both to go home, because you're clearly not on the same page as the rest of us. We have nothing in common with you," Trina said in a no-nonsense tone.

"You being in my house is a huge disrespect to not only me, but to the rest of my fellow parents," Juliana murmured.

"All in favor of them leavin', raise your hands," Gloria announced. Everyone, except Marka and Les, shot their hands high up in the air.

"Looks like it's unanimous," Aleida smirked. "Don't let your asses hit the door on the way out."

Without saying a word, Marka and Les finally left.

Emily Germann, Maria's mother, just cried about how much she missed her child. She and her ex, Jorge, divorced two years ago when Maria was taken, and they apparently took turns going to these meetings, since Emily couldn't bear to look at him without thinking about her baby. "He takes every bit of the blame, you know," she blubbers to the group. "Callin' himself El León 'cause he has so much pride for the Dominican Republic...and I hadn't been home that night...she was with her friend, I thought things would be okay..." Red hands Emily a tissue, and the upset woman blows her nose loudly a few times. "I really did, because the bowling alley was full of people, Sirena's parents were taking Maria back home, but if Jorge wasn't so obsessed with drugs and embarrassing her in front of her friends when they came to our house after school, she would've allowed him into her world a little more often...and I was actually working. He was just being a lazy son of a bitch."

"That sucks," Theresa said. "I wish I'd followed Marisol when she wandered out of the sewing room, but I assumed she was gong to play with her brothers." She put her head in her hands and inhaled in and out sharply. "I should never have gotten so upset at her and ignored her like I did…I just got tired of repeating that I was busy then and I would play with her later. I gave my sons to my ex, their father, because looking at them would remind me too much of her. Now I don't leave the house unless it's to shop once a month, attend this support group, or go to church to see Jim. Maybe I should visit him or somethin' after this."

"That's a good plan," Juliana murmured. "I make margaritas and I have a glass of it just about every night, to take my mind off my darling Maritza. It almost makes me forget, but the pain is still there, throbbing, like a dull ache that won't go away, no matter how much Advil you take. I keep wondering how different and better things could've gone, if only I had come home from my job sooner." She sniffled. "This morning, I looked at my disheveled reflection in the mirror and told her to rest and take the day off work. Usually, I throw myself in my career, being a lawyer keeps me busy, but it's always hard this time of year. My ex was supposed to be watching her, but he was distracted with his mistress, and Maritza, feeling sad and alone without me here, left the house on this day five years ago. I'll hate that motherfucker for as long as I live."

"I don't blame ya," Gloria muttered and gave Juliana's hand a supportive squeeze.

Stansie was silent until now. "My youngest daughter Lorna wanted to go for a stroll around the park, which is five minutes away from us, walking distance." she said while keeping her gaze on the table. "We could see it from our apartment window, you know, the trees and the chains of the swings, and we heard kids laughing and playing over there. I told her to, um..." She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. "I told her to be back before dark, and the sun was setting. I watched the sky as I made the pasta sauce and cooked the noodles, it was so beautiful...like a painting." Stansie swallowed hard. "Maybe she was taking pictures of it, she loves nature, especially flowers, and she's a daydreamer, you know, she was probably distracted when...the unthinkable happened. Her dinner got cold as we waited for her to come bouncing in, apologizing for being late...Franny went out there and called for her, even looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen. She told me Lorna vanished, and no one could finish their meal, we were so upset and frantic. I'm worried sick to my stomach, literally."

"Holy shit," Aleida comments. "I hope they find your baby."

"Me, too..."

* * *

"It was nice meeting all of you, even if it was under such shitty circumstances," Diane announced at the end of the session when no one wants to talk anymore.

"You, too," Juliana murmured and hugged her.

"Yeah," Theresa, Stansie, Emily, Trina, and Chad agreed in unison.

After they left, Aleida walked around while looking at photos of Juliana with a small raven-haired, brown-eyed girl and the child all by herself. Aleida gestures to the pictures. "This cute kid is Maritza, right?"

"Yes, she's my little angel. I lied to you, though, because I get delusional without medication," Juliana told Aleida gravely. "Maritza isn't alive. She'd be twelve now, but she was killed when she was seven. They still haven't caught the animal who did it."

That cleared up the confusion as to why there were no pictures of an older Maritza, but it also made Aleida sad. She would never be able to imagine that happening to her own daughter and she put her hand over Juliana's. "Lo siento…"

"Gracias," Juliana responded.

Once Aleida arrived home, she soon got a call from a number she didn't recognize.

"Hello?" she answered.

"This is Kubra Balik, Franny's boss from Starbucks. Sorry so last minute, but I need a maid for tonight. I have a very messy house and a busy schedule. Can you do it, ma'am?"

"Yes. Thank you!"

"You're welcome. Please be here at seven." He gave her the address of the place and she wrote it down.

Leon drove her to her client's house, which was dirty on the outside with dusty windows and isolated in the middle of the woods. The white paint on the house was all chipped and the ground was uneven.

"This looks like it should be in a horror movie," Aleida pointed out. "Any fans of that genre would love to film something in this location for fun, I'm sure!"

"It _does_ look creepy," Leon agreed. "I'm going to stay here until you finish. There's no reception out here, so I won't know if you're okay unless I keep peering into the window."

"Leon, it's fine, you can go home. I'll text you when I'm done and just wait inside."

"I don't know these people, Lei. I'm worried about you all the time. I don't want you getting taken away from me again."

"Kubra is a good man, honestly. He wouldn't be allowed to be the owner of Starbucks if he wasn't. Red trusts him enough to be his friend, and so do I. I don't want to make you sit here while it gets dark and cold. I need to be there now."

Aleida sighed as Leon insisted on meeting Kubra and his friends, Greg Hellman and Desi Piscatella, police officers, and oddly enough, Haluk Bayat, who went to Equality Charter School. Leon hugged Aleida tightly and kissed her so lovingly that she felt like melting, but she had to appear professional. "See you later, baby."

"Bye, sweetheart!" He drove away when Aleida closed the door behind her.

"Time to make dinner, you two," Officer Piscatella directed Aleida and another girl who was suddenly standing in the kitchen. She jumped when she saw the girl. She looked like a young teenager, about thirteen or fourteen. She had long black wavy hair and was a few inches shorter than Aleida, about five feet two. Her clothes were dirty and ragged. Her face was pale and gaunt, like she was extremely sick. She appeared as if she was well fed, but her stomach growled like she was hungry and hadn't eaten for days. She had dark bruises under her eyes, on her cheeks, and around her wrists. There was a large gash on her arm and Aleida glanced at her own scars. She suddenly felt a connection with this girl, although she barely knew her.

They stood side by side, not speaking to each other, until as she was putting the chicken in the oven and Aleida was mashing the potatoes, she asked, "What's your name?"

"Maritza," the young girl responded very quietly.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, LindaAndrewsfan!**


	4. A Cry For Help

**Happy birthday to me, yay!**

 **Warning: abuse, pedophilia, and racist, homophobic, and misogynistic language.**

 **Note: The kidnappers are calling the girls by the names of the characters in the series Madeline. Here is a guide:**

 **Madeline: Maritza**

 **Chloe: Alana**

 **Nicole: Michelle**

 **Danielle: Pidge**

 **Yvette: Nicky**

 **Nona: Flaca**

 **Lulu: Maria**

 **Anne: Ouija**

 **Ellie: Taystee**

 **Monique: Lorna**

 **Janine: Blanca**

 **Sylvie: Alex, She is sometimes identified as Simone.**

Aleida sucked in a gasp as she realized this could very well be Juliana's daughter. "What about you, what's your name?" Maritza asked under her breath.

"Aleida McDonald," she responded silently as well.

"You're the McDonald's owner?" Maritza wondered aloud, and the innocent question made Aleida smile, but she shook her head no.

"It's my husband's last name. It's just a coinkydink, though."

"It's nice to meet you. They're a loud bunch, aren't they?" Maritza asked in a little voice, shaking the older Latina's hand.

"Yeah. What happened to your arm?"

"Scraped it on a door handle trying to hold everything and go up the basement stairs at once. I missed the door handle trying to open it, but a nice gentleman helped me," she said in a wavery voice, blushing. "I just wish I could see my mama."

"What's she like?"

"She had dark hair and brown eyes like me, and she was the best and most fun mommy in the world. I miss her so much. I wish we could run away together and find her."

Their whole conversation was whispered, so they could barely hear each other. "Dinner's ready!" Maritza announced loudly. Aleida followed behind her with a plate of cheese and chicken enchiladas. They set the dishes down in the middle of the table and a creepy guy tapped Aleida's butt when she walked past him. One of the women shot him a glare and Maritza rolled her eyes.

"Douchebag pervert," Aleida told her in a hushed tone. They moved upstairs to clean some more.

"That's Herrmann. You're lucky he just touched your butt. What he does to me is worse."

"Hablas español, nena?" Aleida was going to make an escape plan with the young girl in a language she assumed no one else would be able to translate.

"Yes, but the mailman understands Spanish. I-I can't-I'm not allowed to speak it," she mumbled.

Maritza struggled to pick up a treasure chest in one of the bathrooms and Aleida helped her. "Let me do it," she offered.

"We'll both do it," Maritza decided.

"One, two, three!" They grunted and moved it to the side. Maritza started vacuuming the floor as Aleida washed the mirrors. There was lipstick smeared all over it and it wouldn't come off.

"I think Herrmann's girlfriend did that on purpose, Ms. McDonald. Just ignore it."

"Glad to," Relief filled Aleida's tone. "That name sounds familiar, I've been thinking about it, Maritza. Is your motha's name Juliana?"

"I think so," she shyly answered.

"Madeline, let's go!" a harsh male voice called up the stairs. Aleida wondered why he had called the child by a different name.

"It was really nice to meet you, Ms. McDonald, see you later!" Maritza said, giving Aleida a quick hug. She skipped away and Aleida felt a tug at her heart, staring after Maritza in shock.

 _Was she Juliana's daughter Maritza? It would make sense, since the little girl in the photos around Juliana's house had the same features as this Maritza, and she'd be twelve by now._ Aleida would have to ask Juliana to check her daughter's birth certificate and do some research.

"Okay, get out!" Officer Hellman snapped at Aleida and forced her down the steps. She tripped over the last stair in her daze and fell hard on her bottom. Hellman glared at her. "Get up, you clumsy bitch!" he commanded.

Aleida struggled to stand again and she felt lightheaded and like she had the wind knocked out of her. It took her a few seconds to get her breath back. "You betta not put your fucking hands on me again..."

"Leave and don't come back. You're fired." Kubra shoved a five dollar bill in her shaking hands.

"What? Why?"

"You and the kid aren't allowed to speak to each other," Kubra growled.

"Nobody told me that!" she protested as Hellman pushed her out the door and slammed it in her face. She gasped at the pain that had now gone to her hip and then she had to sit down. She texted Leon to let him know that she was finished and he replied that he would pick her up in thirty minutes. It's so dark, and she hated it. The men were rough with her enough to give her a reminder of the last monster who touched her.

 _She was finally going to make something of herself today. After the combination of much urging from her mom, her best friends Gloria Mendoza and Diane Vause, and her boyfriend Leon McDonald, plus finding out she's pregnant, Aleida was headed to her very first Narcotics Anonymous meeting. She didn't need to be arrested for driving under the influence again. The second time, she almost ran Jack Pearson, Diane's strict boss and Gloria's uptight boyfriend, off the road._

 _"I'm Aleida and I'm a drug addict," she recited in her head over and over again. It was probably how she was going to have to introduce herself there. Leon was dropping her off and Gloria would be picking her up. She didn't trust herself and she felt like nobody else should either._

 _"Bye, Lei. You can do this. I love you," Leon said warmly while taking her hands in his. They made out for a long time and he talked to the baby inside of her while kissing her belly until Aleida really had to go inside._

 _"I love you too. See you tonight after work, sweetheart!" she said while waving and walking backwards to the building. She watched Leon's red '79 convertible drive away until it was just a little red dot on the street. She was excited for their first Valentines' Day as an official couple. She turned around and took a deep breath. "Okay..." The wind picked up and she rubbed her arms in the freezing Feburary air when all of a sudden, someone grabbed her from behind. Aleida tried to scream and defend herself, but her assailant was much bigger and stronger than her. They clamped their hand over her mouth and pushed a gun into her jaw. Her breathing sped up. "N-no..." she mumbled._

 _"Gotcha!" the man taunted her with a snigger. He dragged her back behind the building where a black car was waiting. It was totally isolated and her heart was beating so fast. He ripped her purse off her shoulder and threw it across the ground. "You won't be needing this." Aleida gasped in horror when she saw her phone and her wallet slide out. Once he forced her into his car, he removed his hand from her mouth and she spat. Aleida was shaking so much that she couldn't even pull her knees to her chest. It was Jack Pearson. She knew he didn't like her, but she had no clue that he wanted to torture her like this. He bound her wrists together with stiff duct tape. "Can't have you trying to escape to your little cult should you ever see them out and about, right?" He chuckled evilly and tears leaked from her eyes._

 _"Please don't...I'm pregnant...just like your girlfriend! Y-you have another baby!"_

 _"Exactly. I need to protect my children from the problem that is you!"_

 _"What does that mean? W-when will you let me go?" She was so frightened. She closed her eyes and pretended it was all just a nightmare, but of course, it was real._

 _"Don't ask stupid questions. Stop struggling. You're now my hostage. You'll murder your child if I make you fall one too many times. You hit me while you were driving high! You could've killed me! You cost me thousands of dollars!"_

 _Aleida glares at him while her chin quivers. "I offered to pay, but you just flipped me off. I already apologized for that, but now, with the way you're treating me, I wish I did, you pathetic bastard! Go die or something!"_

 _"You're my side whore now, bitch! You're weak. You always have been. You just couldn't stop with the smoking, huh, you fucking crackhead?" Jack yelled at Aleida. He backhanded her into silence and she felt herself losing consciousness. She clutched her still flat stomach and prayed that he wouldn't hurt her baby. It was almost like passing out because she took too much heroin, but this time, nobody was here to take care of her._

The flashback sent her into panic attack mode and she kept screaming and crying whenever she heard a growl in the woods. There was the rumbling of a chainsaw and shuffling footsteps that got louder as the person approached the house. He pounded on the door, it opened up, and closed again. Aleida's teeth were chattering, but she was sweating at the same time. She wanted to call Charles, but she had no concrete proof that these men were for sure hurting Maritza.

A pair of headlights shone in her eyes and she knew Leon was back. She tried to move, but she couldn't. She was too scared, for both Maritza and herself. Her husband came out of the car with his flashlight. He waved it around and then ran to Aleida.

"I'm stuck," she mumbled.

Leon pulled her to her feet and she grabbed onto him and started whimpering in his shirt. He put his hands on either side of her face and stroked her cheeks as tears stream down them. He kissed her forehead. "Oh, baby, why are you out here? I thought you were going to stay inside."

Aleida sniffled as he helped her into the car and closed her door. "They kicked me out."

"Why?" Leon got in on his side and started up the car. Aleida groaned in pain softly as she adjusted herself in the seat until sitting didn't hurt too bad. Her back felt stiff and all she needed was a massage and for that little girl to be okay. "What's wrong, sweetie? You were limping earlier and wincing when you got into the car."

"I just tripped. I can't work for them anymore because I was talking to this young girl who lives there. She's Daya's age. I suppose she's not allowed to talk to guests."

"You have a handprint bruise forming on your forearm," he pointed out when Aleida rolled up her sleeves. "I'll bang on that door and then beat the shit out of them!"

He was about to leave the car, but she grabbed his hand.

"Nah, just let it go because something more important needs to be reported, the fact that they may be abusing a child in there. I'm fine, really. That poor girl, however, is not. I'm almost sure she's my friend Juliana's daughter because she said her name was Maritza and I asked her if her mom is named Juliana, and she answered that she thought so. I have the house's address for possible future reference. When we get closer to home, I'mma call Red and ask her to go on the Internet and look up Kubra, the one who gave me the job. I doubt he's who he says he is, and I want Daya to stop going to Starbucks, just until we find out more information on him. Franny Morello should quit her job there too, I'll let Stansie know."

"Excellent plan so far, honey. I'm in!" Leon said as he took her hand.

The car bumped through the greenery and rolled unsteadily on the dirt road. They soon got onto the freeway and Aleida then called Red.

"Hey, Aleida!"

"Red, hi! Listen...I want to advise you to google Kubra before your relationship with him develops further. Take it from me, it's better to know about him before getting into a bad situation you could've stayed away from in the first place."

"I don't think I'll find out that he's a player just by researching him online. Aleida, I promise you that I'm not crushing on him or anything. I don't want romance in my life right now. If he asks me out, I'll tell him that."

"I just got back from this weird house that's far away from civilization. It's in the woods, practically. I was a maid there for a very short time...I started today, but I was given the boot. I saw Kubra at the house...in fact, he asked me to go over there and clean and slave away in the kitchen."

"Did he make a move on you?"

"Nah! I haven't gotten to the meat and potatoes of this story yet. What I'm trying to say is...and please keep an open mind when I tell you this...Maritza, Juliana's Maritza, was a maid there, too."

There was dead silence on the other end of the phone. "Are you sure it was really her?"

"Nah, but she was Mexican, and she kind of looked like an older version of the Maritza that is in the pictures at Juliana's house. She told me that Maritza was her name and then I asked if Juliana was her mom and she believed she was. She even described her mother as having dark hair and brown eyes. Juliana said Maritza would be twelve if she were still living. Well, guess what? She looks that age."

"That's impossible," Red murmured. "Did she say her last name?"

"Nah, and that's why I'm fifty-fifty on this whole thing. Don't tell Juliana anything, we can't get her hopes up."

"I know. Maritza Ramos was found dead, though. The body was destroyed, burned beyond recognition, but it was her."

"How could you tell, besides the dark hair, because lots of people have dark hair. Could it have been a mistake?"

"You know what, with the pathetic New York police with the exception of Lieutenant Hopper, yes. Then why haven't we found her, ever? The cops said her captor's car caught on fire and they both died."

"She was kidnapped and raised in captivity for the past five years, if that _is_ her. Three of the other men who were at that house, they were cops, Hellman, Herrmann, and Piscatella. Another one was Dr. Andy Stryver, I saw him at the table, now that I think about it. The police can't arrest themselves and a doctor can alter dead people's faces to look like a hostage victim who's actually alive. Do you see what I'm saying here? They committed the perfect crime where their professions would keep them from getting stone cold busted. Somehow, they lured this little girl into their trap. It's like something out of Lifetime. The only reason I ain't called nine-one-one yet is 'cause I want to make sure I ain't accusing nobody of somethin' they didn't do. Also, Hellman might answer and he was violent with me when throwing me out of their house. My bottom half aches."

"I hope you feel better soon! Okay, I'll see what I find out about on Kubra. If they are all the kidnappers and they hurt Maritza, he'd probably be the only one with a criminal record."

"That's right! Yo, I'mma be home in five seconds, so I should get off the phone now. I got worried about Daya, Christina, and Emiliano all of a sudden."

"I don't blame you! While we were talking, I couldn't stop peeking into the room where my sons and Lida were watching a movie. Are you going to tell Daya or the others about all this?"

"Nah, not until we're positive Kubra is or isn't a bad guy. That's why I want to find out tonight, so Hopper can pull him out of his job and throw him in the slamma if need be. 'Course we got Charles, too, he just started...he an old friend of ours. Di, Glo, and me, I mean."

"That's nice! Okay, well I won't tell my boys or Lida either. Bye, Aleida! Talk to you later."

"Bye!

* * *

"Hey!" Hellman and Kubra's faces were beet red as they stormed into the room where half the girls were being kept. They flinched sharply when the grown men came near their small bare feet with their huge black boots. Hellman unlocked Alex's handcuffs and grabbed her up by her recently broken arm, courtesy of Piscatella. He shook her, despite her cry of pain. "You know why Desi had to snap the bone, right?" He snatched her glasses off her face. "I'll crush these if you can't answer, you slutty bitch." Alex squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the tears back and then she opened them again. She swallowed hard to get the lump to slide back down her throat.

"I...I tried to stab him with the scissors he had used to cut Lorna's hair...I-I'm sorry, sir," she mumbled faintly.

"Good girl." Hellman muttered and kissed her on the mouth, jamming his tongue between her red lips. She wanted to bite it so badly, but when she tried that before, she had to spend the night hanging upside down by a rope which was tied to a pipe that creaked every time she moved. "My Lolita. You're the hottest one here." He clumsily put her glasses back on her face so she had to adjust them. Hellman stepped aside and then Kubra kept her in place by groping her breasts underneath her thin bra. She wanted to throw up. "You're a waste, you know," Hellman told her as Kubra sexually assaulted her. "I wouldn't worry, since a lot of us, except Piscatella and Vee, can fuck you straight." He pointed at Nicky. "You better listen to what I'm saying, since you're guilty of being a dyke as well. I've caught you and Sylvie together more than once. Do not screw each other unless I am present, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" they both said in a loud voice.

"Now..." Kubra turned Alex around to face the group and he snaked his arms around her waist and licked her neck. "She's got nice tits, right? Don't answer that, its rhetorical." The only reason she hadn't collapsed yet, was because he had her trapped against him. He unhooked her bra and she watched it fall to the ground. His slimy fingers slithered down the thong Vee had provided for her and they went into her vagina. She glanced down at the purplish-blue handprints that marked her pale thighs and shivered involuntarily. "Yeah, you're on your period, you want me right this second, pet."

Hellman started masturbating as he came over to them. "Man, you're not kidding! She can barely stand upright!" He took her from Kubra and just stared at her while digitally raping her. She felt so sick from both the awful touching and her menstrual cramps that she wanted to faint. "Whoa, you're wet. You almost made me forget what I was the angriest about in the first place, you stupid cunt!" He kicked her away from him and she stumbled to the ground with a yelp. Hellman mimicked the sound she had just made, and then cackled. He knelt down close to her, and when she started to get up to her feet, he backhanded her across her face, sending her glasses flying. She shrieked while placing her hand firmly to her aching cheek. "You're being naughty again," he growled and dug his fingernails into her breasts. "Find your glasses and then crawl back to the group." Kubra wagged his index finger at her and then flicked his tongue in and out through his index and middle fingers before exiting. The other girls had just watched that whole thing with horror and dismay.

After she'd obeyed Hellman's orders while sobbing softly and closing her eyes since she was so dizzy, the sadistic monster locked her wrists together again. He took his police baton out of his belt and she flinched sharply. She wasn't able to look at him any longer. "Who captured that brainless dago?" he demanded, tilting his head towards where Lorna was in the human-sized cage, her mouth covered with duct tape and her eyes filled with unshed tears. With the exception of mealtimes, she had been in there all day since Ratman orally raped her after her shower. The rest of the girls were handcuffed together by their wrists and ankles. Alex could tell the girls were terrified to respond to him. "Answer me!" he bellowed.

"I did," Taystee replied bravely.

"Me, too," Blanca chimed in.

"The rest of us were with Piscatella in his car. He told the girls to kidnap Lorna," Maria informed him.

"Just don't hurt her, please," Nicky begged. "Let her be with us!"

"You got the wrong one!" he yelled and let Taystee out of her chains, only to slam the baton into her stomach a few times and then kick the same spot. She groaned loudly while bending over and holding her belly. Alex couldn't watch Taystee get beaten any longer, so she just kept her gaze on Nicky, who appeared just as upset. "Never trust an ape or a spic!"

"What'd they do this time, Greg?" Piscatella asked roughly and glared at the girls as he came into the area.

"I wanted the Diaz fatass instead, not that dumb, puny whore!" Hellman pointed at Lorna, bound and gagged in the cage. "She's useless! Sure, she's got the big tits, but the rest of her body is nothing like a twelve-year-old's. Diaz is filled out, though! Now we gotta wait another two years to take her! We can't release the runt, or she'll tell everyone. Remember, it's supposed to be like _Madeline_. 'Twelve little girls in two straight lines, the smallest one is Madeline.' We already _have_ a Madeline! That little brown hottie under Humphrey's rule."

Piscatella shrugged. "I guess the dago can be Monique, then. Look, man, a lot of guys would want someone child-sized. We're sellin' 'em by the time they're thirteen...so Janine, Ellie, Sylvie, Monique, and Yvette will be out of our hair in a few months." He was referring to Blanca, Taystee, Alex, Lorna, and Nicky, whose birthdays were in March and April. "You can take the new Monique and kill the ginzo once you have Diaz in your grasp." The subhuman turned to the girls in chains and Taystee writhing around on the floor and whimpering, as Hellman kicked her in her abdomen a few times more, handcuffed her again, and then left the room. "She's a big one, though, so we would need all five of you, okay?" Piscatella nodded while holding up all five fingers on his right hand. "That is not a request."

"Yes, sir!" they chorused, although Taystee choked on her words.

Their giant master knelt down to their levels and aimed his police baton at Blanca's face. "Open up, Janine, you need to be punished, too." Nicky and Maria shielded their eyes and Taystee turned away as Piscatella shoved the weapon into her mouth and pushed her to the floor. Blanca shrieked at the top of her lungs and started coughing up blood mixed with puke. He punched her in the face with his free hand, giving her a black eye, and he clutched Alex by the back of her neck and made her watch him torture Blanca this way. "This is what happens when you make my men furious!" Alex bit her lip to keep from crying because of Blanca's helpless bawling.

Every day, since she was a tiny girl, Alex had witnessed or experienced something incredibly scary, and the torment seemed to get progressively worse. She was amazed that she and the others were all still breathing. They were broken and battered with their spirits crushed and their lives threatened, but they were somehow surviving.

* * *

Aleida and Leon turned onto their street. He parked on the driveway and they stepped out. While they walked, a light above their porch turned on automatically and Leon let them into their house. Aleida saw Gloria's aunt Lourdes watching television.

"Where are the kids?" Aleida wanted to know. "I'm aware that Diane went with Gloria to her bodega and Fahri's working..."

"Daya was in her room the last time I saw her. The little ones are with Diane and Gloria," Lourdes answered, but kept her voice at a low volume. "The baby's napping in my arms, see?"

Aleida sighed in relief with her hand over her heart upon seeing her youngest son looking so docile in her mother figure's arms. "Thanks." She glanced over at Leon. "We should see how our oldest is doing. I need to give her a hug."

"Remember when we used to swing her between us and she'd dance with us?"

"Yeah," Aleida said with a smile. "I miss those days. She's not so little anymore!"

"She's embarrassed when we dance, even in private!"

"Teenagers are like that! At least we can do that with Emilio and Chrissy!" Leon nodded in agreement at Aleida's statement and then they went into Daya's room, where she was on her phone and talking to someone about how it's nice in the Bronx and that they should visit sooner rather than later. Both Aleida and Leon got up on Daya's bed and wrapped their arms around their daughter while the girl on the other end laughed.

"Guys, what..." Daya trailed off in confusion. "Why are you kissing and hugging me so much? I'm in the middle of talkin' to my pen pal Adeola! She's thinking of being a foreign exchange student here, but she gotta wait three more years. She can still visit me, though."

"They love you!" Adeola exclaimed. "Ma, you gotta hear this!" she shouted in her Jamaican accent. "Aleida and Leon are basically smothering Daya. It's sickeningly adorable."

"I can't concentrate on our conversation now!" Daya complained.

"She can wait," Aleida muttered, still holding her daughter. "Why there gotta be a reason to show affection to your children?"

"Hi, Aleida, my mom and I are about to eat our chicken curry that we made together! Daya, I will leave you to your time with your parents. Til next time!"

"Have fun!" Daya called out cheerfully

"I think it's time we have a dance-off!" Leon announced.

"All right!" Daya said happily and then Aleida gave them two thumbs up. Her phone vibrated inside her pocket.

"Hold on, okay? I need to take care of this." Luckily, Daya was too distracted with Leon to ask why Aleida was being so secretive.

The woman left her daughter's bedroom and answered her phone to check whatever information Red had found on Kubra, if any. The older Russian lady started talking before Aleida could even say hi.

"He's a drug kingpin and was arrested in Bulgaria for that, and soliciting minors and young women...like sex trafficking. He's bought slaves before on the black market."

Aleida glanced inside Daya's room where she was just innocently dancing with her stepfather and laughing when she kept messing up on the steps. Her little artist was in the same place as that piece of scum and she had left Starbucks with Gloria. _What if he'd done something to Daya? What if she had disappeared without a trace?_ She pressed her hand to her chest and gasped. "I thought there's some kind of law that people like him can't be around children!"

"They can't, but if a cop ever came to Starbucks, he would hide, unless it's Herrmann, Hellman, or Piscatella. _That's_ why he told me that he's usually working in the backroom! Oh my god! I totally fell for it!" Red swore in Russian.

"So did I...he hired both me and Stansie's daughter, and Lida too, I'm guessing. You couldn't have known, Red. Thank goodness you checked."

"I wouldn't have done it if you never said anything. It was teamwork."

"I know...well, what do we do now? How can we save her if the monsters are the police?" Aleida wondered aloud. "Charles would help, of course, but he needs backup, and there is more than one mothafucka in that house."

"I'd have to poison them with ricin mixed into their food or an overdose of prescription drugs. I'm going to make a little ricin blueberry pie just for Kubra to bring home to his buddies," Red declared.

"Excellent!"

* * *

As Herrmann circled around her, Alana looked up at him nervously. "Filthy bitch, the both of 'em!" he shouted. "Conspiring against us..."

"Who?" Humps asked just when Stratman walked in from the bathroom with Flaca. "What were you two doing?"

Stratman smirked. "I fucked Nona, now I just need Madeline, and my life will be complete. Why'd you send her up there, anyway?" Flaca looked so ashamed of herself as Stratman chained her to her cot again. A shiver came over Alana and she couldn't stand that she found Stratman kind of hot with his shirt off. She had to keep reminding herself that he was a child predator too, just like the rest of her kidnappers.

"Madeline's mine, bro," Humps said as Maritza rolled down the stairs and hit the floor with a thud as soon as she reached the bottom. "Ah, there she is right now." He licked his lips and stared at her while masturbating. "She's so smokin' that she melts the room." Alana was afraid she was dead.

"She's a traitor, you know," Kubra grumbled from the top. "She and that new maid we hired were discussing how she'd get out. Hellman had to throw the old wetback out the front door, literally."

"Damn, Madeline, why you gotta break my heart like that?" Humps kicked Maritza a few times until she sat up weakly. The girls sighed in relief. Maritza's forearm was bleeding and her face was bruised from Kubra pushing her down the steps. "You're still attractive, but you know better than to go against your masters. You're well aware that if we get arrested, you won't see your beloved Biff again."

Maritza gasped and crawled backwards from Humps. "I'm sorry, sir...I told her I wasn't interested in escaping." She scrambled to her feet and rushed to Stratman. "Biff, you gotta tell him! I wasn't doin' nothin'!"

"Now, Madeline..." Alana gagged internally as the dirty man lifted her face up and kissed her while chewing on her already swollen bottom lip. "You need to behave so Humps doesn't get violent, all right? When you chicks are up there and serving everyone, you have to be quiet so newcomers don't get suspicious and report this to other police officers who don't work with us. The outside world would never approve of our scandalous relationship. Don't you wanna be together forever?"

Maritza nodded. "I...I thought I was being sold, though." Alana's insides froze at Maritza's words. She glanced at Michelle, who only looked as terrified as she felt.

"Nope. I could never get rid of you. You're mine. Partly, anyways, since you also belong to Humps."

"You love me, though, right?" She looked up at him innocently.

"Yeah," Stratman answered. "I've always thought you were a gorgeous girl with lots of potential, you still are." He slapped her butt. "Let's go into the shower, you and me, okay? Don't slip."

"Okay."

After they exited the room, Herrmann punched Alana and she fell face down from the shock of being hit. She started crying from agony while Humps and Herrmann both laughed maniacally. She had gotten yet another nosebleed, so Humps called for Andy to get her a bandage.

When all the girls with the exception of Maritza were alone and sitting down, Alana leaned forward and faced them, since she was on one of the ends and could see everyone that way. "You know that's Stockholm Syndrome, right? What Maritza has with Stratman. Flaca, you have it, too. He is a terrible person, though...he's an adult having sex with a minor! That makes him a pedophile."

Pidge scoffed. "They don't got whatever you just said. They're in love with him, and he worships the ground they walk on. You got a crush on him too, dumbass. We can all see it."

"Yeah, and he's only eighteen. You just jealous that he thinks me and Mari are special," Flaca put in. "He'll let us out very soon, he told us. It's just that our romance will have to be private until we turn eighteen. The first time we each had sex with him, he took care of us after. It was painful and bloody, but Vee taught us it's supposed to be like that."

"No, it isn't. I took Sex Ed. Making love is supposed to be romantic and slow, but intense and powerful, too. You're not supposed to hurt your partner so badly that you break their pelvic bone or cause vaginal tearing."

"He don't harm a hair on our heads!" Flaca snapped.

"Why does he call you by the wrong names?" Alana wanted to know. "Isn't it degrading?"

"It's just a fun thing they all started to do. I don't think it's a big deal." Flaca shrugged. "Look, Biff could be a lot worse! He could show us our mamas missing us on the television, he could slam our faces into the floor, he could shove a gun up our vaginas, but he don't do none of that! Only the rest of them do. They ugly as shit, too, but not Biff." Flaca sighed and looked up at the ceiling with a dreamy expression on her face. "You know, on Mari's eleventh birthday, he let us both eat chocolate cake off of his naked chest _and_ his dick? There was frosting, too...oh, it was the first dessert we'd had in _such_ a long time. He _always_ spoils us, hon. I ain't sorry we're his favorites."

"Damn, you don't gotta brag! Now I'm hungry for cake," Michelle stated.

"Yeah, me too, with ice cream and rainbow sprinkles..." Alana murmured wistfully.

"It sounds disgusting that you ate off a grown man...that was a bit too much information. He should be in prison, along with the rest of 'em," Pidge pointed out.

"I want him to know how it feels to shit and piss in a bucket and get whipped and beaten every day," Ouija hissed and then inhaled and exhaled sharply. "He only treats you two nice...because you're flawless."

"Hello, there," Stratman greeted them as he placed Maritza down on the floor next to Flaca and then locked her wrists together and bound her ankles. The evidence of further abuse around Maritza's torso disturbed Alana. "Goodbye, my exotic beauties."

"See you later, Biff," Maritza told him and then giggled when he pecked her cheek. She squirmed uncomfortably and blushed with what was probably humiliation when he rubbed a very private area of her body. "Oh my god, that was so good!" she exclaimed when he clomped up the stairs and shut the door. "I got a...what do you call those again? That feeling like you just wanna moan...and something tightens inside you and then bursts?"

"Orgasm?" Alana supplied.

"Yeah. Yo, don't tell him I told y'all, but he gonna do a strip show for us!" Maritza squealed. "Won't that be fun?"

Alana plastered on a fake smile. "Mm-hm." She really wished he wasn't so good looking, so she could fully hate him as much as the others.

"Oooh...I...I think this baby needs to get outta me now..." Ouija said in a strained voice, but trailed off. After positioning herself into a squat, she clutched her swollen stomach that had grown nearly hard as stone with the contraction as she leaned forward and tried to breathe through it. That's when Alana noticed just how pregnant Ouija really was. She was so scared for the other girl, and Ouija appeared to be just as frightened. After stripping her of her underwear, their cruel doctor had left the room when her contractions started in the afternoon, but eight hours later, the baby seemed ready to come out.

The small screams and whimpers caused by her labor pains echoed through the freezing and dusty basement. Pidge and Michelle were on either side of her, and they held each of her hands as best they could. She spread her knees as far apart as she could, Michelle and Pidge could only stroke Ouija's hair while everyone encouraged her to push. She was sobbing as she worked at moving the baby out of her womb where he or she was safe and warm, and into their cold, dark world. Alana felt sorry for Ouija and her poor kid, who would have to grow up in this type of environment. Pidge reached under Ouija's legs to catch the baby as it slowly came out, and a piercing cry filled the space.

Ouija relaxed immediately, although she was breathing heavily and trembling all over. She tried to reach for her son with both hands, but she couldn't. Instead, she fell forward on shaky legs and landed on her forearms and knees before laying down completely. "At least the hard part is over..." she murmured. When Pidge put him in the new, young mother's arms, Ouija held him close and brushed her fingers over him while kissing the top of his bloody head. "I wish I had a blanket to wrap him up in and a nurse could clean him off in the first place!"

"We're proud of you, chica," Pidge said, and Ouija managed a smile.

"What you gonna call him?" Michelle wonders aloud.

Ouija looks down at her child with love in her eyes. "Miguel...after the angel closest to God. He's my little angel. He's also a miracle baby, since he survived so many blows to my stomach for nine months."

"Aw, what a precious name!" Maritza coos.

"Yo, little dude, don't worry, we'll take lotsa care of you," Flaca says while beaming at the infant.

"Yeah, we'll teach you so much stuff," Alana chimes in.

"It looks and sounds like a tiny demon baby!" Nobody even noticed Humps come in until he spoke his nasty words. "I'll wash the devil spawn and get it out of here. You wouldn't be able to hold it or act like a real mother anyway."

"No, don't take my baby!" Ouija shrieked and pounded her fists on the floor, making the chains clang as they hit the wood. Humps ignored her as he picked up Miguel with a baby blanket. "Please don't...I wanna hold him...he _needs_ me..."

"He'll be with me, his father, and live a normal life away from you," Humps insisted and marched up the steps.

"No!" Ouija wailed and then broke off into more sobs of anguish. She was shaking so much as she twisted herself around to face her rapist. "Miguel!" She put her hand over her mouth and whimpered softly. " _Mijito_..."

"Be quiet or I'll sacrifice him over a fire pit and cook him for your breakfast tomorrow!" Humps threatened her, and Maritza squeaked in fear for the girl. "You've been here for an entire decade, or ten years now! That's more than enough time for you to learn that whining and bawling doesn't get you what you want! I am not making this young man stay here, we have no use for him! Boys don't grow up to be prostitutes. This guy will be a wrestling or football champ in twenty years, lemme tell ya. He doesn't need you for that, he needs me. I won't hear your protests. I appreciate that you gave me a son rather than a daughter."

Ouija pressed her lips together and her chin quivered as he continued going upstairs. She opted for crying silently, and Pidge and Michelle held her hands again. Alana teared up for the girl and she could see Flaca doing the same. Maritza rested her head on Flaca's shoulder and Flaca kissed Maritza's temple with much tenderness.

"It might be okay soon, mama," Maritza soothed Ouija. "I think I caused the maid to worry about me...so for all we know, she could be working on getting me out, which means the rest of you will also be rescued!"

"We've thought that about every brainwashed cook that has been asked to work here! Nothin' changes," Michelle said glumly.

"Nah, she seemed different! She talked to me...even asked if I could speak Spanish. I was too scared to risk doin' it, though...Humps was nearby. Plus, she got fired almost right away, so they knew she suspected something was wrong after meeting me. That never happened before."

"She'd need solid proof, and she got none," Ouija muttered. "My baby is gone forever and we're gonna be stuck here for the rest of our lives. Over a decade, and I'm still in this dump. It feels like a permanent situation, so just stop dreaming. _Por favor_."

"Yeah, it's pointless to conjure up the most unlikely situations in y'all's minds," Pidge added. "You bitches been in here five years, but for me and Ouija, it's been eight and ten years since we last saw the sun. Y'all remember what that was like? We don't."

"Mm-hm, but dreams is all we got," Flaca pointed out. "Sometimes they come true."

"One can only hope and pray," Alana agreed.

* * *

After Red and Aleida finished talking, they hung up and Red received a gross text from Kubra with a picture of a naked woman's body attached.

 _Suck those titties and cum in her cunt hard, she's a jiggly one!_

Red was immediately repulsed. _I think you sent this to the wrong number...I don't watch porn..._

 _Sorry haha it was for a friend_

She was about to delete the text until she took a closer look at the photo. It showed the lady from the chest down to her legs and there was a bit of black hair with blue streaks hanging down off her shoulders, but she was white instead of Mexican. She had bruises, cuts, and blood all over her and there were handcuffs around her ankles. Then, Red knew this poor woman was being abused, along with the girl. "God damn it, he's holding two people captive?" she asked herself. Her eyes widened upon seeing the back of someone else in the lower right-hand corner with blonde, frizzy hair. "Syn svin'i!" she hisses in her native language. "Three now?"

 **son of a pig fucker**

She typed Kubra's name into the Google search engine again and then found a result for his MySpace page. He had an account, but it was set to private. Red created a fake profile, called herself Ronnie Banks, and made the Confederate flag be her profile picture. She went to his account again and added him and a bunch of other random disgusting men and pretty women in bikinis as friends. She couldn't wait for him to accept her request.

Red busied herself by buying the ricin and making the poisonous pie with Aleida at the Reznikov home as soon as the younger woman showed up at her house around nine. Aleida must have told Leon about the lethal pie. Red filled Aleida in on her plan to pose as a sleazebag and talk about black market trades with Kubra.

* * *

Charles decided he would check up on Diane each night, just to make sure she was safe. He drove to the house on his way home from work and rang the doorbell. Aleida answered the door.

"Hey," she greeted him.

"Hey Aleida, where's Diane? The house is quiet, which makes me worried."

"Oh, she just went out with Gloria to her bodega with the kids. Gloria's the manager there."

A Jeep drove up to the manor and parked itself behind Charles', and he smiled when he saw Diane. The women got out of the car, took the children out from the backseat, locked the doors, and walked up the front steps. Benny and Christina scampered upstairs while giggling.

"Charles, hi," Diane said. "You look relieved." She tried to hide her smile, but failed. She pursed her lips, and he was reminded of how cute she looked when she did that.

"I'm just glad things are back to normal, for you, anyway." _Not really for him and Diane, or her daughter._

Her smile faded and she flinched at his words. "Things aren't normal, because my baby is missing, I jump every time there's a noise, I have horrifying flashbacks, I'm afraid of men I don't know-in fact, I hate them-and I don't feel like myself no more. Though it's true that I'm with my sisters again, a large piece of my heart is gone because Alex is not here! I'm not the Diane Vause that you knew in high school. You can't look after me any longer, it's not your job. My girls are with me. All I need now is Alex, and then I'd be able to say I'm fine." She walked past him and up the steps with a scowl on her face.

Gloria and Aleida sighed sadly. Charles frowned and shook his head.

"Did I say something, or do something?" Charles was puzzled. _Women can be so confusing_. "I mean, she flashed her pearly whites at me when she saw me. It was for a split second, but it was there."

"It could be that you said her life was back to normal. Yes, the Diane that we've always known is still here, but she's not the same as she was nine years ago. She's gone from being a strong, stubborn, sassy woman, to a lady who's afraid of her own shadow. She's basically a grieving mother, too, don't forget. She needs protection and crumbles into your arms if you give it to her, and she only feels safe with her own gender, which means that the kidnapper was obviously male." Gloria let him know. "Charles, she needs to testify. Whatever happened to her had to have been beyond a beating. You said she was locked in a basement with bruises and scrapes, well imagine what nine years of that must have been like. I can't bear to think of her in that situation. If she gives her statement, this guy will be behind bars for life...I hope."

"You girls mind if I come over and tell her that myself? The daylight might also calm her. It's dark and she wasn't expecting me, so that may be another reason she didn't feel comfortable talking to me."

"Sure, come over tomorrow. Good night," Aleida said, and the sisters closed the door behind them. He shuffled back to his car and wished that he'd never moved anywhere away from Diane. He also thought that if she ran after him and begged him not to leave, he would've changed his mind and stayed, anything for her. Then this whole thing would have never happened in the first place. They'd be married now with kids.

* * *

"Are you serious right now?" Gloria asked.

Aleida nodded. "We ain't sure this'll work...Red's still waiting to hear back from Kubra."

"I hope she does." Gloria sighed and shook her head sadly. "God, three of 'em...I can't imagine, and one's a _child_! Poor baby..."

"Yeah, I know."

"Did you hear anything like thumping or crying in other parts of the house?"

"Nah, I thought Maritza was the only one there. It must be soundproof in the basement..."

"I'm shocked they made you leave...I thought they would've killed you if you suspected something amiss, or at the very least, kidnapped you, too."

"Leon would've started an investigation, and they knew that, since they could see how protective he was of me when they met him." Aleida smirked. "If everything goes our way, they gonna be so trapped! I bet they know they're fucked, too."

Gloria shrugged. "I ain't sure about that, them being aware they're in trouble. Assholes like them...they think we hella stupid. We're just tits and ass to 'em. They probably assumed they got away with it and it was just a close call. Clueless mothafuckas..."

"Oh yeah...I mean, that's good if they are, since they could pack up and move to another country."

"Yep..."

* * *

Diane regretted her choice to let go of Charles the day he left for Albany. Ashamed of herself and lonely, she let herself get into one bad relationship after another until she hit rock bottom. After having a one-night stand with Lee Burley, she fell pregnant and vowed to turn herself around so she could care for her baby girl properly. She'd turned down dates and her co-worker Brenda called her picky, so to make her stop, she decided to accept one man's proposal, Bill Chapman's, when Alex was two. When he dumped her, she was heavily romanced by his friend Lee Dixon, and they eloped. She snuck out of her bedroom window and went to Las Vegas with him. It was by far the biggest mistake she'd ever made, apart from not holding onto Charles. She wanted danger and Charles was too bland for her, or so she thought at the time. _Now look at where that had gotten her_.

She had not only ruined a part of her own life, but she'd destroyed her baby girl's entire existence. If not for Lee, or her stupidity, Alex would've been perfectly safe. She replayed the night she and Alex were separated over and over in her head until it became a blur.

 _"Why did you want me to bring my daughter?"_ _Diane asked almost silently as Lee pulled her along to her car. Alex was tired, confused, and weeping a little against Diane's shoulder. She had her arms around Diane's neck and her legs around Diane's waist. Her child was also half asleep on her shoulder and she was holding the tiny girl with both arms, even though Lee was practically dragging her. She could barely keep up with his rapid pace. She was shocked Alex wasn't fully alert during all the jostling around. "I don't wanna wake her...and I didn't know we were eloping tonight. I thought it was tomorrow..."_

 _"Nope! Surprise, pet." He grinned at her and she nodded to herself with a smile._

 _"What about Alex? I would've prepared her for my leaving on a special short trip and had her stay with the girls. She needs her rest...after midnight is too late to be up for such a little one like her. She's barely four...her birthday's comin' up soon."_

 _"She doesn't seem to be moving or stirring. I thought she'd wanna watch her momma and stepdad get married!"_

 _"I think she's closer to her uncle figure Leon than you, to be honest...she's been around him a lot longer. It'll take her lotsa time to get used to you...we've been dating not even half a year!"_

 _Lee frowned. "Well, no wonder, she barely knows me since you never bring her over, nor do you invite me over when it's just you and her in the house!"_

 _"I didn't think things would turn out to be serious between us...but now that they are, my friends will just have to accept us and I'm sure Alex will think you're awesome."_ _As they got closer to Lee's car, an older guy lumbered out of the passenger's side door and slammed it shut. "Who is that?" Diane whispered._

 _"My good buddy, he's the best man. Too bad you don't have a maid of honor."_

It would be Gloria, if she wasn't so grossed out by you, _Diane thought to herself. "Oh."_

 _In an instant, the newcomer snatched Alex away from Diane and dumped her over his large shoulders like she was a sack of potatoes. She tried to grab her little girl back, but Lee put his huge arm out in front of her and let the asshole get away. She tried to push past her boyfriend and duck under his arm and run, but it was no use. He was too strong and he had her in an iron tight grip. "Allie!" she screamed as her heart beat a mile a minute and her stomach lurched. She stomped on the pavement a few times. "Allie! Let me go, Lee!" She smacked his arm, clawed at his throat, kicked his shin, and she attempted getting him in the groin too, but he refused to release her. "Please give me back my baby, I'll do anything! Alex! Al!_

 _"Mommy!" Alex shrieked in the distance, waking up fully at last. Both mother and daughter started screaming for each other at the same time. She reached for Diane and then beat her fists against her abductor's back. "I want my mommy!" Alex's wailing broke Diane's heart to smithereens. "Where's Mommy?!"_

 _"I'm right here, baby. I'm right here. Alex!" Diane covered her mouth and sobbed_ as _the_ _distance between_ _them grew and Alex's_ _cries became quieter. "Oh god, Alex...Lee, why aren't you doin' shit? Why wont you let me get to her? He's takin_ _' her to who the fuck knows where! He ain't the best man, is he?"_

 _Lee snickered as he brought Diane to his car and opened the trunk to reveal a blonde wig and sunglasses. "No, you naive cunt. Just some dude I met on the dark web. Your brat looks damn good takin' a bath."_ _Diane gasped in horror. "So do you, don't be jealous."_

She went into the bathroom and stripped herself. She leaned closer to her reflection in the mirror and rested her hands on the cracked drywall on either side of it. Her makeup she used for cover-up was starting to wear off.

Scars marked up her flesh, and she could really feel her bones through her skin. A reddish-purple bruise was on her cheek where _he'd_ slapped her days before. She looked tired, and she was. She lifted her bangs and smoothed them back so they would tangle into the rest of her coarse hair.

Diane sat down on the toilet and she examined herself. She'd felt an immense stabbing in her lower area ever since she was in the basement, but she didn't want to think about it, so she pushed it to the back of her mind until it hurt too much and she couldn't do that anymore. There were little bite marks there, _human_ bite marks. She wondered how such a tender and tiny area could have _that_ many wounds. She couldn't bear to look at herself any longer, so she got back up and prepared to bathe herself. She'd do it until she was clean.

 _Thirteen. Alex was now thirteen years old, if she were still alive in the world._

She yawned and then stepped into the shower. She turned it on and immediately cowered in the corner when she felt the burning water on her flesh. It reminded her of the time _he_ threw boiling water on her for not cooking enough for him and his friends. She turned the knob slightly and tested the water. It was much too cold, but at least it soothed her wounds. She washed herself quickly until she started trembling. She turned off the water and then carefully patted herself dry. Some of her injuries were fresh and too sore to handle the softest of towels. She got herself dressed in her light pink nightgown and tiptoed to bed.

She used to love taking a bath because it calmed her, but now, all it did was give her nightmares, even when she wasn't sleeping.

 _The feeling was suffocating, being immersed in the hot, sudsy waters. She couldn't even tell she was_ crying, _since the water blended with her tears. She swallowed gallons and it hurt to cough. Her heart was slowing and she felt like she was on fire, the way his nails dug into her skin and his foot crushed hard on her throat. The life was escaping her with each second. If Alex was in heaven, at least Diane could reunite with her._

She jumped and sat boltright up in her bed. She gasped shakily while she pressed her fingers to her temple. Her heartbeat was pounding way too fast for her liking. She wiped her tears away, pushed her hair back from her dampened face, and fell back onto her pillow. _She couldn't have such scary dreams like these anymore; she didn't want to wake up her sisters or make the kids cry with her screaming. Besides, she needed to focus on looking for her daughter._

She only had one more nightmare after that-one where Lee had thrown her down the stairs so she rolled over and over again- and she awoke with a loud and painful _thump_. She opened her eyes abruptly and checked her surroundings. She found herself on the floor with the sheets tangled around her limbs and when Gloria and Aleida ran in with alarmed expressions on their faces, she blushed from embarrassment.

"Fell out of bed...tossing and turning too much, I guess," she muttered. "I'm okay."

The women helped her up immediately and got her back into bed. She groaned as her ears rung from the bang her body had made on her hardwood floor. She was a bit dizzy, and her girls must have noticed because they were holding up two fingers and asking her how many fingers they were showing her. She said the correct amount, and they were pleased to know she really was okay. They bid her another goodnight and then all was quiet.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, Guest, A Star In My Universe, Johanna002 and VeraRose19!**


	5. Beat Them At Their Own Game

**Happy Mother's Day, Amy!**

 **Warnings: physical and verbal abuse, mentioned sexual abuse**

Blanca winced as Vee combed through her hair in a rough manner. She tried not to whimper in pain or grimace too much, otherwise, Vee would give her another black eye or bleeding lip with the brush. "You know, if your hair wasn't so messy all the time, I wouldn't have to do this!" the evil woman would say. "Same with Yvette...what is the matter with you cunts that you can't groom properly? I get tired of doing all the work."

"I've always wondered...why do it, then? Maybe some guys are into it, frizzy tangled masses of hair."

Vee scoffed and pressed a waxing strip to the middle of Blanca's unibrow. "Don't be stupid, Janine, no one in their right mind would want some animal as their prostitute!" She rapidly pulled the sticky parchment paper downwards and threw it in the garbage as Blanca hissed softly. It didn't hurt her that much. She was in a lot more agony when Vee took care of all the pubic hair and she wanted all the girls to have Brazilian waxes. Blanca was used to it. The next step tonight was getting her hair straightened again after the shower. That wasn't so bad, but she feared quite often, that Vee would burn her just because she felt like it. She did that when Blanca was tiny and didn't know better. She couldn't make noise, and she learned not to when she was four. Nicky had the same problem, and Blanca had to warn her to be quiet when Vee was fixing her hair, otherwise, there would be consequences. The two girls bonded over that, and when one of them was finished, the other one would squeeze her hand in solidarity.

"Arms up," Vee instructed, and Blanca obeyed. The lady dipped another piece of parchment paper into hot wax, not caring that it was like molten lava on Blanca's skin. She squeezed her eyes tight as her underarm hair was ripped off, and then she had to spread her legs wide apart to get her Brazilian wax. She shaved her own legs, however. The rotten men liked the prickly stubble there. She looked down and saw all the redness where it was tender.

"At least they won't get their fingers caught in the bush or choke on hairballs," Blanca mumbled.

"That's right." Vee wound part of Blanca's locks into a tight, uncomfortable bun and started flat ironing her loose hair. Then, she moved it aside and did the rest. She finished with Blanca's side bangs and curled them under. "You look much better now."

Blanca nodded and smiled as best as she could. "Thank you, ma'am," she said automatically. She had been taught the hard way about her manners the first and only time she didn't show appreciation for Vee's work. Vee had taken her off the high stool when she was just four years old, and then she started to feel her new hair.

 _Just a few seconds later, Vee grabbed Blanca and shook her. "What the fuck do you say, you little vermin?" she demanded._

 _Blanca shrank away from her and began to cry. "What? I dunno...put me down! You're being mean to me!"_

 _"_ Thank you _, bitch!" Vee hollered. She pushed Blanca down into the closet and stomped on her chest. "_ Thank you _! Or,_ thank you, ma'am _! You got that?"_

 _"Yes," Blanca squeaked._

 _"Jesus fucking Christ, didn't your mommy teach you shit?"_

 _"I miss my mommy..." Blanca hyperventilated. "I...I m-m-miss her so m-much!"_

 _"Oh, no one gives a shit!" Vee snapped and kicked her, making her gasp sharply. "Get up, you ugly creature, I need to fix your makeup."_

 _Alex watched them in the background with tears swimming in her eyes._

"Is she finished?" Piscatella asked as he opened the door. He was holding a pair of handcuffs. "It's almost time for her beauty rest."

"She's done," Vee replied. She turned to Blanca and jerked her head towards Piscatella. "Shoo, fly!"

Blanca quickly did as she was told and silently held out her arms, her palms facing upwards, so he could lock her wrists together behind her back. His grip was strong and painful, and she wanted to wrap her arms around her midsection and hide a part of herself because she hated being exposed. Even though Piscatella was gay, he stared at her like she was a piece of meat, and it was so creepy. She bent her head down so some of her hair would shield her bruised face. She could still taste his police baton in her mouth and her breathing was ragged since she kept coughing. She had begged for water, but she had to give Stratman a blow job and swallow his demon seed first. Her throat was so sore that she could barely talk. Piscatella was walking with her at a brisk pace, pulling her along, but then he stopped abruptly so she tripped over him and nearly twisted her ankle as she fell hard on her knees. He just laughed as she groaned softly in pain. "You're such a klutz!" He yanked her up by her hair and got her to a standing position again, and then he brought her to the other girls. He plopped her down on the cold floor in between Nicky and Maria, turned on an edited recording of the eleven-o-clock news for them, and left the room, locking the door behind him.

"Two years after the last double kidnappings, there are two new victims whose family members are devastated beyond belief," the announcer said on the television.

"I just want my Lorna to come home," a brunette woman sobbed as she covered her face.

"Lorna, if you're listening, we love you," a teenage girl chimed in with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I know Blanca has been gone for nine years, but we-we still have hope...that she's-she's out there." The sound of her mother's voice was music to Blanca's ears, but it still hurt to be so far from home. Blanca could see her, but she wasn't able to feel her hug or any other loving touches. She couldn't even remember how her mother would brush her hair or kiss her good night after a bedtime story.

"I love you, Maria, you're my best, best friend in the whole entire world!" Sirena clutched her chest and gulped as she leaned her head on Emily's shoulder. "Somehow, you're gonna come back home...I can feel it!"

Maria sniffled and managed a smile. "My homegirl and my mom..."

"We miss Alex bunches, but somethin' good is coming, I just know it," Gloria said positively, even though her eyes were misty. "Um...Allie, just in case you're out there, we adore you, we think about you every day."

"Aww, Auntie Glo," Alex murmured.

Gloria turned to the reporter. "Her mother is back with us...that's why the hope is still alive that we will someday find her little girl again. We put up missing persons posters everywhere, in all the boroughs, but someone keeps taking 'em down."

"Mama? She got rescued?" Alex leaned forward and then back while grinning slightly. "I wonder how...and I dunno why she isn't on the television. I used to see her holed up in that bad place, but then her captor stopped sending ours the recordings of her suffering. I thought that meant she died." She let out a relieved, shaky sigh. "I'm glad she's okay now..."

"Maybe she's camera shy, babe," Nicky said. "I think if she loved you and still remembers you, she's not at all fine. She's probably devastated that she still doesn't have you around. The same can't be said about my parents. All they do is worry about their stupid ass reputation."

"Nobody's ever spoken about me on the news, so you ain't alone," Taystee sympathized with her.

"They show us this stuff as torture, it makes us wish we could see our families and friends again in person, but when we hear them speak and see them on the television, we never forget them that way. That's like, so helpful to you, Blanca and Alex...since you were taken before you were five. Kids under that age wouldn't remember anyone if they were separated from them for many years, if they didn't repeatedly see them in pictures or media," Maria pointed out.

"I just hope they can recognize us if we get reunited with them," Blanca murmured.

"I'm sure my mom will, my glasses are a dead giveaway," Alex told her.

"I haven't changed much since I was ten, luckily," Maria said. "You're the only other Dominican out of all of us, Blanca, your parents will know you're their daughter."

"Or they could get me mixed up with Ouija and Pidge...they don't really have parents either, I heard. Their mom smoked more than she took care of them."

"The point is, you would be aware of who your own parents are, so once you ran to them, they'd realize."

Blanca smiled at Maria's statement. "Yeah."

"I'd probably get put into foster care," Taystee predicted.

"God, I hope I do, too," Nicky muttered. "Hey...while we're still fantasizing, let's think of different ways we could kill those pigs."

A dreamy expression crossed Maria's face. "Push 'em over a cliff into icy shark infested waters below. _Chomp_! Like in _Jaws_."

The girls beamed and Blanca giggled, imagining the assholes flailing around and getting eaten while calling out for help. "There would be soooo much blood, dude."

"Yeah! Or, I got one...throw them over the bridge and into traffic on the highway," Taystee said.

Alex imitated honking and then several thumps. "Boom, fuckin' dead!" They all crack up under their breaths.

"Mm-hm," Nicky agreed. Her gaze trailed to Lorna in the cage. The girl was crying silently with wide eyes and clutching the bars she was behind. "Poor kid..."

"She's just being neglected and isolated from the rest of us for now...I know that's just as horrible as physical and sexual abuse, but at least she can just lay there and not get beaten all the time," Maria whispered. "She's still being fed and given water. They won't kill her, they need to keep her alive for the pedophiles."

"I'm not sure about that," Nicky countered her. "Hellman was pretty pissed off that we got Lorna instead of Diaz."

"Yeah, but he ain't the master. Piscatella wouldn't let her die and he gives orders to his minions," Taystee said.

"Okay..." the other girls murmured in unison, but Blanca was still afraid for Lorna, and she could tell the others were too.

* * *

It was already a busy morning at the police station on Tuesday. When Charles arrived, Officer Humphrey proudly announced that he had a new baby boy and then spoke to the little guy in Spanish. He had named his newly born son Pablo and passed him around the room. Charles wasn't all that fond of children that he barely knew, but the tiny infant grew on him as he held Pablo in his arms. Then, Humphrey held his kid high over his head and marched out with three other policemen surrounding him while doing a weird chant.

"Are they always like this, drunk on the job?" Charles asked his partner. "I can smell the alcohol on their breaths from the spot where we are sitting. Humphrey's got a baby, too, he needs to find a sitter!"

"Yeah, but the captain doesn't care. Hopper is way too laid back! Honestly, Donaldson should be the captain. He's a hell of a lot more trained," Rikerson answered. "I know, Humphrey should find someone to watch his kid."

"I just hope we can find those ten, now twelve, kidnapped girls," Charles muttered. "Strange thing is, it started from Diane's disappearance, and her daughter is missing. I thought the perp could've been that son of a bitch Dixon, but I only found Diane in that house." Saying her name only brought heartbreak to him. He missed her and he wanted to help her so badly, in any way that he could. He stood up and went straight to the captain with the new information.

"I don't even know why you banged her anyway," an officer was telling Chief Hopper while munching on popcorn. His nametag read _Stefanovic._ "Her daughter's fat and insults us, calling us all pigs! It's _her_ that's the little piggy. Oink, oink!" Stefanovic chuckled as he leaned back in his chair.

"Hey, man, not cool...that's not the reason I dumped her. She didn't replace the toilet paper when she used it up, she wasn't grateful of the housing I offered her, she was mean to my nana, and she almost got me busted putting heroin in our Nutri-Herbal drinks. That's why those were chalky!"

"What a bitch," Stefanovic muttered.

Charles cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Chief..."

Hopper turned to him. "Yeah?"

"We got any leads on the multiple kidnapping case? Another two girls were taken recently. The media's all over it."

"I'm aware of that!" Hopper replied. "I don't know if it's one person acting alone, or they have accomplices. It seems like this eleven-year-old could've run away based on what was happening in her life. She's an orphan now."

"Yeah," Charles said sadly.

* * *

"The last fun thing I remember before I was captured, hmm...well, I was at a slumber party at my friend Zirconia's house," Michelle responded to Alana's question. "What about you?"

"I'm not really sure, actually," Alana told her glumly. "I guess talking to Stephanie, my only friend at school. My dad committed suicide and my mom overdosed in the same week. Then I got kidnapped. The last several days have been the worst of my life. Being bullied for my clumsiness was nothing compared to all that shit."

"That sucks," Michelle said. Her heart went out to the newest girl. "I'm sorry."

Alana nodded. "Thanks."

"Yeah, we're sorry, too," Flaca murmured, gesturing to herself and the rest of the girls.

"Thank you for your condolences," Alana mumbled.

"What's a slumber party?" Pidge wanted to know.

"It's where you and your friends get in your jammies and play Barbies and make cookies using an Easy Bake Oven...and watch a Disney movie!" Maritza explained.

"I remember I did that with Cat, my bestie when we were five," Flaca mumbled. "I wonder what girls our age in the free world do at sleepovers."

"They have pillow fights, dance to music, maybe do karaoke, gossip, makeovers...and there's giggling. So much loud laughter...and they raid the fridge and stay up all night watching movies!" Alana informed her.

"That sounds like fun. Is it sleepovers or slumber parties, though?" Ouija wondered aloud.

"A sleepover is you and just a few girls, but a slumber party is with over five and the music is louder!" Michelle told her.

Ouija nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see."

"Did every adult in this house just go to work? It's a perfect time to escape!" Alana said excitedly.

"Nah, they got security cameras everywhere now and locks on all the doors and windows," Maritza informed her. "Besides, not all the cops have the same shifts. Someone is always lurking around here. After Biff finishes with the cellar girls, you know, Alex and them, he moves onto us. The shower is always magical with him. I can't miss a day of it. He said I'm in my prime now." Maritza beamed and giggled.

"He told me that too!" Flaca squealed.

"Ugh, gag me with a stick. Oh wait, he already did that," Michelle grumbled. She couldn't stand how brainwashed they were, but she felt awful for them, too.

* * *

Because Charles was on his break, he dialed Diane's number. She picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?" She sounded so tired, weak, and broken.

"Hey, Diane, it's Charles. You know I'm here for you if you wanna talk."

"I wish someone could stay home with me...I don't like being alone. Sometimes, I enjoy the peace and quiet, but I need company right now. I told everyone to go to work and not worry about me since they need to get paid...but I'm glad you called," Diane mumbled. "Don't get in any trouble, though."

"I won't, I'm on a break. I can come over there right after work if you'd like. I saved you some free donuts that Officer Coates brought in from his other job."

"Okay, thank you." She sniffled. "Everything reminds me of her, Charles. Children laughing and playing in the neighborhood, butterflies outside the window, which she would've loved to see, cake and ice cream, her favorite treat, cheese and tomatoes being advertised on television...she loved that snack the most at her preschool...and oh my god, I was rummaging through my things and then hers that Glo and Lei had packed up when we disappeared, and I pulled out a tiny pair of glasses that obviously belonged to my baby. I'm still holding them now...I'm clutching them so tightly that my hand feels sore and there could be an indent or even a scratch on my palm, but I don't care. I have a piece of her...and it makes me miss her even more. I'm surrounded by all her clothes and toys...I took 'em all out of the box and I can't bring myself to put them away and into the closet." Her voice was so fragile and soft and it cracked in a few places. The utter devastation in her tone ripped him apart. He had never known the agony of losing a child, but he could imagine it.

"That's okay, you don't have to put them back into storage or anything. It's completely understandable why you'd want her possessions around you."

"It makes me feel her presence somehow. I know she's not here in reality...but her stuff is. It's nowhere near as good enough as having her in my arms again, and if she ever...were to come back, um, she would be too big for her clothes and her glasses and too old for these toys. I told the girls that their kids could have 'em and I'll give the toys to them later today."

"Are you sure you wanna do that?"

"Yeah...a lot of 'em just make me sad anyway."

"Alright. You going to the support group today?"

"Mm-hm. I hope the Nicholses aren't there, though...they made me blow my top yesterday! I really let 'em have it since they were freaking out about their ruined reputation rather than the loss of their daughter. I really can't stand people like that."

"Me neither. I've never met them, to be honest, but they seem shallow."

"They are."

"What did you have for lunch?"

"Nothin'," Diane admitted sheepishly. "I woke up super late and ate cereal, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast just before you called. I didn't have the best sleep either, so...I was exhausted. I'm sorry…"

"Hey, you got nothin' to apologize for," Charles assured her. "If I'd been held hostage for nine years straight, I'd be tossing and turning from nightmares and flashbacks, too. It's perfectly understandable that you didn't get very good rest. I'm just glad you had somethin' so you wouldn't faint from starvation. I know you gotta eat right when you wake up."

"You remembered from back then?" He could hear the surprise in her tone.

"Of course I did."

"Well, it's not so bad now...he didn't feed me much until I was passed out from hunger, so I'm used to it."

Charles felt so awful for what she'd endured. He wished he could hold her and comfort her, but he wouldn't until she was ready. When he'd rescued her and carried her out of the basement, that was different. He was doing his job. "I regret not asking your permission when I lifted you up in my arms. Even if I thought you couldn't speak, there's always nonverbal gestures."

"It's okay...I couldn't move, and I was happy to get out of that horrible room. You freed me from captivity, and I don't know how I can repay you for that, besides saying thank you."

"I'm a cop, it's what we do. You're welcome, though. You don't have to return the favor or anything."

"Really? You're sweet."

"Yeah, I mean that. Thanks...although most people would describe me as bitter, the opposite of sweet!"

"Well, I've just never really known a man as good as you and Leon are...and Fahri seems nice, too, but I haven't gotten the chance to talk to him much."

"Diane, I'm sorry about what I said last night-"

"Captain said time's up and back to work!" Piscatella interrupted him loudly. "Get off the phone, newbie." Humphrey, Hellman, and Herrman gathered around the large, bearded policeman. They were snickering.

Charles held up a finger. "I apologize, my break is over. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Bye!" Diane hung up just before he did.

"Jesus, man, who made you hall monitor?" Charles muttered. He missed Diane so much already, and all he wanted to do now was find her little girl and the others who were missing. "I'm well aware, I was about to finish the conversation."

"With Diane, right?" Hellman asked in a brisk tone.

"Yep," Charles said nonchalantly.

Herrmann smirked. "The same woman who you saved just recently? We overheard you talking about that."

Charles nodded, but this time, he didn't verbally answer.

Humphrey sneered. "Well, you know what they say about officers fucking victims."

"We're not even dating, and it's none of y'all's business anyway."

"Hey, guys, leave him alone!" Rikerson commanded them and handed Humphrey his son. "Take care of your kid instead."

They finally walked out and Charles sighed with relief as Rikerson sat down. "Thanks, buddy."

"Anytime, pal. Unfortunately, though, they're right...if you and that woman become anything more than friends, everyone's gonna look at you funny and Hopper might come down harder on you."

Charles scoffed. "That cracker's a pansy, he can't do shit, he got roped into a drug deal," he told Rikerson.

"Alright, well, maybe I meant Piscatella. He's an asshole. Luckily, he ain't the captain."

"He sure acts like it."

* * *

"Oh my god, ew!" Piper exclaimed as she and her best friends strolled through their favorite store. "Hey, weirdo, buying girl products, dresses, and bras for yourself?"

Haluk Bayat turned around and faced his bully. "They're for my girlfriend."

"You don't have a girlfriend!" Piper turned to Allison, Daya, and Polly. "They're probably for his mommy or he's embracing his feminine side."

"I have a girlfriend and I need to be home soon, if you'll excuse me," Haluk said in a stronger voice.

"Oh yeah, what's her name? Do you have a picture of her as proof?" Piper asked tauntingly. "Let me guess, Suzanne the dumbass loser?"

Haluk didn't answer. She just walked away from them, paid for her stuff, and leaves. "I'm going after him!"

"Why do you care?" Allison asked, exasperated that Piper was so nosy. "It's nice that he found someone."

The girls followed Piper outside the mall and they see Haluk get into a police car.

"Is that Piscatella?" Polly asked and squinted her eyes. "I didn't know they were buddies."

"I'm going to ask if Danny can take us to wherever they're going the next time we see Haluk, like after school."

"Girls, maybe we shouldn't. With the exception of Charles, the New York cops creep me out and I don't need a run-in with them," Daya murmured.

"Yeah, me neither," Allison chimed in.

"Oh wow, are you serious? We'll have an adult with us!"

"Danny's barely outta college!" Daya shot back. "He still has frat boy syndrome. I can smell the DUI from here."

"At least he can drive, and he would never put us in danger, you know that!" Piper snapped. "I _am_ his baby sister, after all."

"She kind of has a point," Polly murmured, and Daya rolled her eyes inwardly. Polly had always had a soft spot for Piper.

"Okay, it's two against one, Daya, what are you gonna do?"

"I'm not going for it, and don't even think about asking Poussey," Allison said.

Piper folded her arms across her chest. "Well then, you girls are babies."

"Why don't you, Polly, and your brother go?" Daya suggested.

"Okay, but you'll miss all the fun."

"I have better things to do with my life than be nosy and get arrested for stalking!" Allison retorted.

"We'll be so sneaky they won't even know we're following them!"

Daya shook her head. "It's too much of a risk."

"Oh my god! This is about John, isn't it?" Piper asked her accusingly.

"What? No..."

"It totally is!"

"Who's John?" Allison and Polly wondered aloud in unison.

"Officer Bennett, obviously. He's your boyfriend."

"He's not mine anymore. I've learned my lesson about not going after older men," Daya insisted.

"Joel's twenty-first birthday bash ended up with us going home in a cop car with Piscatella and you were smashed and flirting with John!" Piper reminded her.

"I didn't mean to..."

The leader of the clique smirked. "Well, you did. You commented on the size of his-"

"Gross!"

"Fine, then! You don't have to go."

Daya breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

* * *

"So, how's it going?" Leon wondered aloud as he walked into the kitchen where Gloria and Aleida were discussing the plan his wife had conjured up with Red. Fahri was with him and the men sat down at the table with their women.

"It's a standstill for right now," Aleida muttered. "This creep ain't answering Red's friend request..."

"Well, he can't ignore her for long," Gloria pointed out.

"Yeah," Fahri agreed with his fiancée. "Weirdos like that always add people they don't know."

"So do desperate, lonely women," Aleida said. "Which is how I wound up with Cesar..."

Leon hated that guy, but he chose to keep his cool and change the subject back when any of Aleida's exes' names were mentioned. "Uh huh. Anyway, you think Alex is alive? When we had guy time, Charles was telling Fahri and I about the pattern of the kidnappings, starting from when she and Diane were stolen from y'all. It's gotta be the same motherfuckers who are keeping the girl you saw, Lei."

"I sure hope so," Aleida mumbled.

"It would make perfect sense," Gloria murmured. "Yo, but don't nobody tell Diane, alright? It's top secret, until we know for sure. I only told Lourdes because of her Santería. It looks like good luck is heading our way, thanks to her candles!"

"Of course, I won't say a word," Fahri promised her and kissed the top of her head.

"Me neither," Leon added.

"I'll keep my mouth shut, too, obviously," Aleida said.

Gloria beamed at them, and then Diane came into the room. "Hey, I just put the kids to bed and kissed them good night and read them stories, the same ones I told my sweetie...and Daya is attracted to Adarsh, she thinks he's cute...so have him ask her out sooner or later, Leon. It could serve as a distraction..."

"Thanks, Di," Gloria told her. She smirked at Aleida. "At least it's someone her own age, right?"

Aleida nodded her head yes. "Mm-hm, and this time, I ain't gonna embarrass her...even though she told you first before me and Glo."

"Good!" Diane said. "Well...we hardly know each other. It's easier to spill your guts to a stranger rather than family and close friends. You're not worried about their opinion."

"I thought that was only online...but yeah, you're probably right." Leon grinned at her. "Adarsh does talk a lot about Daya, but I told him just to wait until she acts like she's into him before he makes a move on her. He's too shy to do that, anyway. He also doesn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, and you know, with everything going on right now, he just wants to be there for her."

"See, I'm not used to guys I've dated after Charles being like that, so I'm glad Adarsh is treating Daya with the respect she deserves," Diane stated and took a seat next to Leon.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with the girl taking the first step!" Fahri winked at Gloria and took her hand in his. "That's how we started dating officially as more than friends, she just kissed me out of the blue and blushed adorably."

Gloria let out a giggle and her cheeks reddened. "I did," she confirmed. "Only because I felt so comfortable with you, though," she murmured as she stared at Fahri lovingly. "I still do, every day."

"Aww, okay, are you gonna start making out? If so, you can take it into your bedroom," Diane told them, but she was beaming. "I'm really so happy for you too, though." She gestured between Aleida and Leon. "My sentiments go to you as well."

"Thanks," the couples answered in unison while smiling.

* * *

The next day started out like the previous two. Diane wasn't the first one up like she used to be. Even the little children were up before her, and she heard lively conversation outside her door. She'd missed out on giving everyone breakfast yesterday, so she knew she would have to do that today. She sat up with a stretch followed by a yawn. Sunlight poured into the room and she saw that it was already ten in the morning. After putting on her sweatpants, she stumbled to the bathroom, barely awake, and washed her face. She did her business without looking, scrubbed her hands with soap and water, and then wiped her wet hands on a towel.

The entire family was at the table, eating their breakfasts, and little Benny toddled over to her. He put his hands on his hips and grinned mischievously. "Mornin', sleepyhead. That's what Mama calls Daddy when he won't wake up when he's 'apposed to at six-o-clock. You a sleepyhead like my daddy and my Unca Leon, but you slept for longer than them."

Diane chuckled and bent down. "Sorry, tiny dude. Will you forgive me for being tired?"

Benny tapped his chin and scrunched his eyebrows together. "What's the magic word, Auntie?"

"Will you _please_ forgive me for being tired? I had a bad dream."

"It's okay."

Christina's mouth went into an 'O' shape. "Oh no! There's monsters under your bed too? Daddy can get them out for you if you want. He and Unca Fahri do that for me and Benny all the time!"

"My mommy said to tell them that they weren't real and they didn't exist. She told me that you said that a long time ago," Benny said.

Diane looked up from the kids and smiled at Gloria, Aleida, and Daya. "Yes, I did say that. I should follow my own advice, huh?"

"Silly Auntie Diane!" Benny giggled and ran back to Fahri. "Daddy, make Auntie Diane's monsters under her bed go away forever and ever and ever! Please, pretty please, with sprinkles and whipped cream on top?"

The women's eyes glistened with unshed tears and Daya smiled sadly.

Fahri picked up his stepson and set him in his lap. "I'll try my best, Benito."

"Yay! Hurry, do it now," the little guy demanded and Christina nodded her head fervently in agreement and made her brown ringlets bob up and down.

"Benny, sweetie, your aunt's monsters will take longer to leave this house, since she's a grownup. We all gotta be real patient. Can you please promise me that you will calmly wait for them to go away?" Gloria asked her son.

"I pwomise." Benny nodded and bounced in his stepfather's lap.

"Yo, what about you, Christina?" Aleida wondered aloud.

"Me too, I pinky swear!"

"Thank you," everyone responded in unison.

Aleida continued to feed Emiliano. "You are such a good little nephew, Benny. You'll grow up to be as loving and caring as your motha and stepfather."

"Of course, your aunts and uncles, too," Leon added and gave Aleida a kiss on her cheek. Diane beamed at the interaction. She didn't want to mention Alex to the kids until she gave them the toys, and just Christina the clothes, from her daughter. She still hadn't brought herself to do that yet.

"What about me?" Christina wanted to know.

"You got your moments," Aleida said teasingly.

"Why?"

"You're good most of the time," Aleida told her. "You know I'll always love you and your brother and big sister, though, no matter what."

Christina beamed. "I love you too, Mommy."

* * *

Later during lunch at Equality Charter School, Piper tripped Haluk while he walked by the girls' table with his phone in his hands. She grabbed it before it could fall on the floor. "I'm looking through his pictures!" she sang while running into the girls' bathroom. "Don't follow me, weirdo!" she snapped while looking behind her and closing the door. Haluk just nervously stood there.

Piper was relentless, so Gloria went into the girls' bathroom to stop her. "You need to give him back his phone! We don't tolerate harassment at this school!"

"I won't let him have it until I send this to Polly for a good laugh."

"Why did you take it from him?"

"He had a picture of himself and his hairy girlfriend and he was keeping it a secret from us, like it was such a bad thing that he's into BDSM," Piper said while going into a stall and locking it. "I'm done. All I saw on his phone was a chimpanzee in a bra and panties." She came out a few seconds later and let Haluk roughly yank it from her. "You're such a creep!" She walked away from him. "Everyone, Haluk's into bondage shit. There were chains and a dusty basement floor in this picture of him and his gorilla girlfriend!" she informed the whole cafeteria in a loud and clear voice.

"BDSM is just a kink!" Haluk tried to defend himself. "We use safe words."

"You're still disgusting!" Piper insisted.

* * *

That same afternoon, Lourdes was subbing for Frieda since the other woman decided to stay home with Diane. Haluk was sitting in the class and texting very fast on his phone while she was giving a lecture on Shakespeare and the iambic pentameter. "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?" she recited dramatically while walking around the classroom and stopping at Haluk's desk. "Juliet isn't asking 'Where are you, Romeo?', she's asking him why is he Romeo. Why does he have to be her sworn enemy-excuse me! Haluk, you're not paying any attention to me!"

He was still hunched over his phone as his thumbs flew over the keyboard. "Gotta finish this..."

"Do it later! Put it away or I'll confiscate it. You are interrupting my class and being very rude."

"Shut up, I can't focus-noooo!" he whined as Lourdes snatched it from him quickly and returned to Frieda's desk. He was shaking and sweating and she didn't know why he looked so anxious.

A few students were failing at trying not to laugh. The giggles came out in quick breaths and one of the boys were smiling because he got in trouble. "What's the matter, weirdo?" Pete Harper asked and guffawed.

"Okay, guys, that's enough! Alright, calm down."

She got everyone to modernize the play by writing some stanzas in today's English language. Haluk's phone kept vibrating and she was about to turn it off until a few messages from a blocked number flashed on the screen and she caught a glimpse of what the person was saying.

 _Answer now! I don't care if you're in class, buddy boy, the bitches are hungry and if they slack in their work because of fainting from starvation, they'll be in trouble, where were you at lunch? Don't you "sorry sir" me!_

A picture popped up after that text and it was yet another naked woman from the neck down, just like the image Red had seen and Gloria and Aleida had told her about. The lady was Spanish and appeared as if she had curly black hair to her shoulders. She was just a little plump, but she still looked malnourished. A lightbulb went off in Lourdes's head and she figured out that Kubra and the corrupt police officers were the masters of this whole operation and Haluk was a pawn. Minion or not, though, he should have come forward with this information.

When the class was over, she returned Haluk's phone to him and texted Gloria, Aleida, and Red to meet in her classroom after work.

* * *

"Another day, another meeting," Diane mumbled to herself as she got ready for the support group session. It was being held at her, Gloria, and Aleida's huge house since the Flores home was still being remodeled. She was amazed she could be so productive, but cleaning the living room, making the snacks, and pouring the water kept her busy. Her friends were correct on Monday, lazing around and knocking herself out with wine only caused her mind to drift into a sea of nothingness and depression. The dreariness seemed to creep in the most when Diane was alone. Only those who weren't working that day, including some familiar faces, showed up. Everyone sat on the couch and Diane put a plate of sliced apples and peanut butter on the coffee table. Luckily, her hands had stopped shaking long enough to cut the fruit and dole out the water.

"Hi, um...my name is Stacey Dwight," a woman who Diane didn't recognize, introduced herself. She was wearing sweatpants and a red blouse with small blue flowers on it and she was sitting next to an older man with salt and pepper hair. She looked very close to crying while the man was solemn and quiet. "My eleven-year-old niece, Alana, has been missing for over twenty-four hours now!" The lady was in hysterics.

 _Around the same time and age as Lorna Morello,_ Diane thought to herself. "I'm so sorry," she murmured as she squeezed Stacey's hand in solidarity.

"My brother, her dad, he killed himself, and then her mom overdosed...and she had just rang me, begging for help...and I think she was going to take the bus to my work since I was at my job site, but she never made it there." Stacey wailed in anguish and looked over at the aging man. "My father and I have looked everywhere for her, friends' and relatives' houses, hospitals she could've gone to, but she's nowhere to be found…and the last person to see her is now dead! I don't know what she was wearing or anything…I called her over and over, but only got the message that the number was no longer in service!"

"Jesus, you poor woman," Stansie muttered.

"Yeah," Diane agreed. "My condolences go out to you, too, sir."

He gave her a quick nod of thanks.

"You know...my best friend Anita and I do yoga with Erica Jones, and I was wondering if any of you would be interested in that?" Maria's mother asked. "It's quite relaxing and could help take our minds off things for a little while, at least. She has hour long classes."

"Lorna really enjoyed yoga," Stansie murmured and pressed her hand to her heart. She sighed, closed her eyes, and then reopened them. "I think it might make me feel closer to her, in spirit. I'll go, and also propose the idea to Franny. When is it?"

"Every morning and afternoon, and just to warn you, it's a little expensive. A single class is twenty bucks."

Diane raised her hand slightly. "I'm interested, too."

"Yeah...same," Stacey chimed in.

"Perfect! I'll let Anita and Erica know, then!" Emily informed the ladies.

* * *

Meanwhile, Daya was looking forward to the big surprise her mom and aunt figure had in store for her. She and Piper were just talking on a bench outside of the school. "Do you think it's that cool bike I've been wanting for so long?" Daya asked excitedly.

"It could be...or maybe a chance to display your best art pieces in a gallery!"

"That sounds fun! Hey, when Leon gets finished with the restaurant he's building, I'll invite you girls to paint it with me and my family!"

"Sure! So, where's Adarsh, your future husband?"

"Shh! He could hear you," Daya hissed as her cheeks warmed, but Piper's usual annoying smirk just crossed her face. "I knew I should've never told you I liked him."

"Oh, relax, he has no clue, and I'm not a blabbermouth."

Daya pursed her lips. "You told your mom about your dad cheating."

"Please, it was for her own good," Piper insisted. "It didn't work anyway, but you can't bottle things up like that. Don't worry, though, I won't tell a soul about your crush on Mr. Khanna."

"Thanks," Daya mumbled. "To answer your question, he's hanging out with Diablo and Yadriel...and then working with Leon and Fahri. With all this shit happening, though, I can't concentrate on a romantic relationship. We talk regularly and chill together, we're just friends for now. You gotta know that."

"I do. I miss Lorna, too, you know. She's in our clique." Piper scowled at Polly and Brook merrily conversing. "Ugh, why are they besties all of a sudden?"

Daya rolled her eyes. "Come on, don't tell me you're jealous. They're both your close friends, and I love it when my girls bond with each other, it makes us feel like a family."

"They're gossiping about something and not including me, which is totally against the rules of friendship…"

Daya scoffed, tired of Piper constantly bringing up drama in the middle of nowhere. She watched Piper approach them and put her arms around the girls and situating herself in the middle, effectively separating them. Daya shook her head and chuckled to herself. Piper always needed to be the center of attention, but then again, those two were just as bad as her in that aspect. There was always a power struggle amongst the three of them. Bored of their antics, she went to the track to look for Allison and Poussey. She knew she should've stayed with them in the first place, but she didn't want to bother them while they were power walking as Janae ran.

"Can't believe you makin' me do this!" Cindy complained as Daya came to the bleachers. Cindy was half-jogging and barely able to keep up with Janae's speed.

"It's for your own damn good!" Janae protested.

Allison and Poussey, on the other hand, were each listening to music on headphones as they walked swiftly. Daya strolled to the field and sat down on the turf to relax.

"Oh, shit!" a tall white girl wearing glasses, a single sparkly diamond earring, a cast on her left arm, and blue highlights in her dark hair cried within earshot of Daya as she knelt to the ground and crawled around on her hands and knees. "I can't find my earring! Did someone step on it?" She appeared to be pale and gaunt, as did the other girls surrounding her. All of them were wearing orange tops and black pants. They looked slightly familiar, but Daya couldn't put her finger on where she knew them from. "I swear, I just had it...it must've fallen off...the backing was probably shitty and loose."

"Hey, you, can you help us?" another white girl asked while waving Daya over. She had frizzy blonde hair and wide brown eyes, and a big smile on her face.

"Um, sure."

"It looks like the one in Simone's earlobe," a Latina with straight hair said plainly.

A gray van rolled up to the fence and parked directly in front of them as Daya assisted them with searching.

"It could be anywhere in this damn grass," an African American girl chimed in.

"Oh god, where is it?" Simone asked the earth with much urgency in her tone. "I borrowed it from my mother, she'll be so angry that I lost it!" She pounded her good fist into the soil and groaned loudly.

Suddenly, someone jumped on top of Daya, smashing her flat on the ground. "Hey!" she shouted and tried to glare up at the person, but they pushed her head down and kept their knees on her back. "What the fuck are you doing? Get off me!"

"Shut the fuck up!" the blonde grumbled. She and Simone rolled Daya over.

The dark skinned girl punched Daya in the face. "Sorry about that," she muttered.

"Help me!" Daya screamed as loud as she could, despite the stinging along her lips and right cheekbone. "Anybody, please!" Daya waved her hands frantically to her friends who were passing her, but to no avail. She was so scared and her heart pounded rapidly in her chest.

"Quiet, or I'll silence you for good, bitch!" another Latina with a head of wild black hair threatened her. She clapped her hand over Daya's mouth as the five of them got her in a standing position.

"Hurry up," one of them hissed, but Daya couldn't see clearly to know who had just spoken.

"Oh, hell, no! P, Cindy, Janae, check it! We gotta save my girl!" Allison shouted.

Four pairs of shoes came racing towards them and then Daya somehow found superhuman strength building up within her. She elbowed one of her assailants in the chest and dug her fingernails into another attacker's wrist and twisted it while stomping hard on a third assaulter's foot, causing them to release her while crying out in pain. "That'll teach you not to mess with me!" Daya then yanked the blonde and Spanish girls hard by their hair and bonked their heads together, making them stumble back dizzily. "You got the wrong one, you cunts!"

Once she was out of their tight grasps, she started running for her life. Her breathing was shaky and she was sweating. They, unfortunately, caught up to her and tried to grab her again, but Daya rammed her knee into Simone's crotch, making her keel over.

"Please just leave with us!" the blonde begged, her voice filled with desperation.

"We need you!" the Latina with tangled hair cried. The hatred in both their tones had randomly switched to fear. Something fishy was going on.

Daya watched Simone carefully as Allison, Poussey, Janae, and Cindy tackled each of the four hoodlums and held them down on the rubber track. They acted like gang members that just broke out of juvy.

"Girls…" Simone rasped out while gasping in and out heavily. "Let's just go…this isn't gonna work."

"You bet it ain't," Daya snapped. "Now get the fuck outta here!"

"They comin' anyway," the black girl mumbled as Cindy slowly let go of her. "Oh, Jesus, my wrist…" She stuck her middle finger up at Daya.

"You probably gave me a black eye or a fat lip, I think we're more than even," Daya muttered. She followed Simone's defeated gaze to Officer Piscatella and Officer Hellman.

"Are you fucking serious?" the blonde who was under Poussey asked.

"Yeah, she is," the wild-haired Latina said and struggled beneath Allison. "Dios mío, you're heavy…"

"You can let us go now," the other Latina grumbled and jerked Janae's hands off of her.

"Get on your feet now!" Piscatella barked.

"All of you!" Hellman chimed in. Both of them seemed quite angry. Daya never really liked them all that much, since they were never any help. She was shocked that they were actually preventing the fight from going on further.

"What the fuck was that?" Piscatella asked sharply.

"We apologize...officers," the blonde girl mumbled as she brushed the debris off her pants. A bruise was forming on both her forehead and the other Latina's with the frizzy dark hair.

"We were just defending our friend here," Allison said, raising her hands in the air along with the other girls.

"I don't care. Simone, Janine, Yvette, Lulu, Ellie, come with us," Hellman instructed them as Piscatella locked each of their wrists together behind their backs with handcuffs. "The rest of you can go. Have a nice day and stay outta trouble. Don't go places alone, it's not safe." With that, the policemen left with the girls.

Daya, Allison, Poussey, Cindy, and Janae stared at each other in bewilderment. "Now that was hella weird. They didn't even touch us, and most of us are black girls! Ain't they supposed to rough us up or somethin'?" Janae asked.

"Well, we were innocent, yo," Poussey pointed out.

"We sure didn't look it," Allison said.

"Not all white cops are racist…but yeah, that was strange. They seemed to come from outta nowhere, too, and so did the girls," Daya mumbled.

"Why were those bitches tryin' to beat you up, D? You part of some deal, you owe 'em tons of money or what?" Cindy wanted to know.

"Nah, dude...I don't even know 'em, honest! I just feel like I've seen them before, but...I got no idea where. They all look like they haven't eaten or been outside in weeks, and it took five of them to attempt trying to kill me or whatever the fuck it was they were doin'. They still weren't strong enough. It's like they were high or something. I fought 'em off easily…and they felt lightweight, too." Daya scoffed. "Their moods changed, too. Probably just drugs. Shame on their parents for letting them be on anything like that at middle school age!"

"Yeah," her friends agreed.

* * *

"He still hasn't responded to me on MySpace and I'm growing more and more afraid that he might be onto me," Red started out.

"Just check, Red! It can't hurt. Besides, it's been two days now," Lourdes told her. "He's had time to go online."

Nervously, she went on Frieda's computer to see if Ronnie had Kubra as a friend yet. Her heart leapt when she saw that he had added her, and Lourdes smirked while nodding. Red wrote him a message in the chat window. _Hi, Kubra, just curious if you know anything about the dark net or how to find hot tween or teen girls online?_

Lourdes smacked Red's upper arm. "Why'd you say that?"

"If he really believes I'm some pedo on the internet, he'll jump at the chance to spill his secrets."

"No one just blurts out that they're into minors like that," Lourdes contradicted Red.

"My daughter knows we hidin' somethin'," Aleida said as she and Gloria walked into Frieda's classroom.

Gloria shut the door behind them. "Yeah, Daya was talkin' to her friends about it in the lunch line today, so I told her we had a surprise planned. We kind of do, so it's not a lie."

"Daya won't care if Maritza's back. They don't know each other. However, Daya and Alex were best friends since babyhood. She'd cry from happiness and so would Diane."

"Aleida, she would think that what I did was heroic. Of course, you get credit too. We are rescuing this child and two women from being sold to dirty men! That's amazing!" Red declared. "Daya would be pretty proud of her mother."

"Three, actually," Lourdes muttered. "Haluk got a message with a photo of a nude lady attached. She's in the same state as the others you saw. I suppose he feeds them all."

"Jesus Christ," Gloria murmured sadly. "No wonder he was so violently opposed to Piper sneaking a peek at his phone. It's a good thing you had it long enough for the horrible secret to come out, Lourdes! These losers are making a lot of mistakes, but it's good for us."

"Come and look at this. He answered me back." Red waved them over.

Lourdes just gaped in shock. "Holy shit!"

Red smirked. "I've lured rotten people to their demise before. I'm simply doing it again, or something like it."

 _You've come to the right guy, Ronnie! The dark net isn't an actual website you can find. It's difficult to access child porn. I actually have links to hook you up with. You won't get a virus. They're just videos and here is a photo._

The image that Red had seen already popped up on the screen. It was making her sick.

 _I'm interested in that Latina. Only thing is, can I see the person's face? I want to make sure I'm not getting an ugly old bitch._

 _She's definitely not old! Well, if you like them plump, you'll like this one, her name is Candy and she likes it hard in all her holes_. _Here you go._

A few files came into her inbox and she opened them, one at a time. "Stop, stop, that's her...the girl I saw!" Aleida exclaimed as a bare tweenager posed provocatively and started dancing and touching herself while Officer Humphrey rammed into her with a wild look on his face. Red paused the video just when a tear was halfway down the girl's cheek and the deranged cop was panting with his tongue out. She pressed play again. Another copper-toned girl came in and began to give him a blow job once he was finished with the first girl.

"That's who showed up on Haluk's phone! By her body, I thought she was a young woman!" Lourdes cried. "Now that I've seen her face…"

"That is no woman, that's a little girl, she looks about Daya's age," Gloria finished the sentence. "They both do…"

All four of them started to choke up.

"They're just babies." Red right away types back to Kubra. _Fuck yes. I want them both. I have a huge fat fetish and I need them in my bed asap. I'll pay you whatever they cost. I'm just getting a boner thinking about them. Where do you live? I'll pick them up."_

Surprisingly, Kubra fell into the trap and gave Red his address. Aleida had seen the place before, but it was dark, so the letters on the house were faded.

"They're goin' back to their mamas, safe and sound, and so are the rest of the poor ladies." Red told the other women in relief. "Now that I think about it, there could be more girls there, rather than women…"

"Yeah, we'll have Charles go and get 'em," Aleida put in with a sniffle. Gloria wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and hugged Lourdes. Her aunt returned the sweet gesture and pecked her temple.

 _Sold for fifty thousand dollars! You'll get them tonight before dark so you can enjoy her from sunset to sunrise."_

"Yes!" Gloria cheered while clapping. She tossed her open palm behind herself and grinned as Aleida hi-fived her and squeezed her hand. Lourdes beamed proudly and the younger ladies bent down to embrace Red.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, Guest, Johanna002, and A Star In My Universe!** **To the guest who leaves me such lovely reviews, I would like to know your favorite characters so I can write more scenes with them!**


	6. On a Roll

**Happy Birthday to Selenis Leyva!**

 **Just a change, Diablo's last name is Garcia and he's Yadriel's adoptive brother!**

 **Warnings: torture, racist language, and mentions of rape and decapitation.**

Maritza had just been whipped dozens of times for getting sick all over the fireplace she was cleaning. One of her numerous masters, Garza, called Dr. Stryver to take care of the fresh bruises and welts on her body before Vee got her ready to be sold into a life of prostitution. Maritza's face was streaked with blood and she was just laying on the cold hard floor of the basement, hyperventilating.

Dr. Stryver walked down the steps with his medical equipment and patched her up. As he did so, he said, "You just need to remember not to make them so mad, darling. One day, you might receive an injury that's life-threatening."

"I know. I'll do better next time. Is that why they're sending me away? Where am I going?"

"You and Anne are both leaving because Kubra got an offer of fifty thousand dollars."

Maritza was stunned that she and Ouija were worth that much money. "What's sex slave trade? They mentioned that, too."

"It's the same thing as prostitution."

"Will you, Biff, and Haluk still take care of me?"

"I'd like to think so." The good doctor brought Maritza up to the first floor of the house. She saw Haluk walk through the front door.

"Why weren't you here to give me my lunch? I got badly hurt again!" she exploded.

"Yeah, and we couldn't get the Diaz girl," Blanca grumbled as she passed him from the bathroom. "We were too weak from hunger pains!"

"I'm sorry, Piper was bullying me at school!" Haluk apologized.

Maritza hugged him and then Piscatella stormed over to them and wagged his finger at Haluk. "Why didn't you answer me?"

"My stupid bitch sub teacher, Ms. Mendoza, took my phone away!"

"I'll be having a word with her."

* * *

"I should've held onto her tighter," Diane lamented after filling Lila in on the full details of when both she and Alex got kidnapped. The women, along with Stansie and Stacey, were in the back of Erica's yoga class and laying out their mats. "I just physically could not since Lee caused me to loosen the already too light grip I had on her. It was like...a relaxed one-armed hip carry...totally the wrong way to hold your little one when you're with someone that vile."

"You didn't know he was so wicked, Diane!" Poussey's mother insisted. "He had two faces...anyone would've been fooled."

"Gloria wasn't," Diane contradicted Lila. "She pegged him as bad news from day one. I just thought she was paranoid from her horrible luck with boyfriends, but no...and she called him a fat lard and said he'd groped her. I told her not to insult him, and when I talked to him about it, he'd said it was an accident...I believed him! Why did I fall for his shit?!" Diane covered her eyes with her hands and shook her head. "God damn it..."

"Lee was a snake who held you captive and allowed your daughter to be abducted. That was _his_ fault, _not_ yours," Stansie told her. "Please don't blame yourself for what _he_ did."

"It was my stupidity that allowed this mess to happen," Diane mumbled.

Someone put their hand on her back and rubbed it in soothing circles. "I should've trusted my gut that he was no good when he would get unbelievably angry...but love does awful things to you. I let him in my life and he eventually made it a nightmare. You know what Leon discovered in our house? Some fucker bugged the place. There were hidden cameras everywhere...like whoever took Allie wanted to watch me suffer the pain of losing her."

Stacey scoffed. "That's disgusting. I hope they die a horrible and agonizing death."

"Me, too," Diane said, stretching herself out like the others were doing.

Emily was right about yoga. As it went on, the class had relaxed her somewhat. The place was calm and serene. The ladies there were quite nice, too. Diane found herself easing into fun conversation and then laughing when Anita and Erica were bad-mouthing the television chef, Judy King. Being surrounded by the women had a positive impact on her, Stansie, Emily, and Stacey. They were hurting, but Lila, Erica, and Anita were there for them. Diane just didn't know what her best friends were doing, though. Gloria and Aleida had told her they were helping Daya with something, but she had no clue what it was about. She just hoped the girl was okay, because hers certainly was not.

* * *

"You're all complete fucking failures!" Piscatella burst out after five minutes of circling Alex, Nicky, Blanca, Maria, and Taystee like a predator hunting its prey. They were all shaking violently from both cold and terror. He was extremely angry, even though he wasn't the one who wanted Diaz that badly in the first place. "You let those apes sit on you and you allowed that spic to fight you off! I would've found it hysterical if I wasn't so furious!" he yelled. He was incredibly loud and his voice reverberated through the room. He picked up both a hatchet and a crowbar and banged them on the floor directly on either side of each girl, and they shrank back as the weapons came dangerously close to their hips. "You better hope either Hellman or Mendez gets her, or someone's being decapitated tonight. Ted Bundy style. Oh boy, I had quite the crush on him!" They shuddered and gulped.

That last name sounded so familiar, but Alex didn't have much time to think about it, as Humps dragged Pidge and Alana into the cellar. "Hello, cunts, you're about to see a good smackdown! Dwight and Contreras are ready!"

They looked so frail as Humps had them circle around each other. Just then, he kicked Pidge to the ground and she collapsed on all fours. "Now punch Dwight!" he commanded her. She groaned while holding her stomach and struggled to get up. "On the count of three, Ramona," he growled. "Or I butcher her myself and make you watch." At that, Alana gulped and whimpered. Pidge wrinkled her nose and breathed in and out heavily. The girls watching them turned completely white and Alex felt faint. She couldn't watch this go down.

"Oh fuck," Nicky muttered.

"Shit," Maria hissed.

Piscatella grabbed both of them by their hair and they grunted in anguish. "Shut the hell up or I'll have you join them!" he threatened.

"One, two…" Humps said.

"Just do it, Ramona! Please, I don't want to die!" Alana shrieked. "Just knock me out so I don't feel it!"

"Oh, you'll feel it, bitch," Humps snarled while forcing Alana to kneel down.

Quickly, Pidge got to her feet and sucker punched Alana right in the face so blood came out of her nostrils and dripped down her mouth and chin. She fell flat on her back with a thud. Her hair was splayed out and her body twitched a little. "Oooowwww…" she murmured while rolling over and covering her nose with her hand. "It hurts so bad…"

Humps began clapping. "Very good, cunts! Well done. I'll get the doc."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Pidge apologized sadly while helping Alana sit up.

Alex's eyes welled up and she felt a lump in her throat and tears sliding down her cheeks. The other girls also appeared horror-stricken and upset. Piscatella stood in front of them, now blocking their view of Alana and Pidge. Blanca had her hand on her heart as she gasped her way through her panic attack. "Aw, come on you big babies! That was nothing!" Piscatella guffawed. "Look, Dwight didn't even fight back when Contreras took her down with one fist! Are you just going to sit there, sniffling your little hearts out?"

"No, sir!" they chorused, but in broken voices.

"Good."

* * *

Suddenly, Mendez quickly walked up to Daya and Allison, who were now in front of the school. "I'd like to speak to Daya in private."

"I can't leave her alone...last time she was by herself, she got jumped," Allison said.

"Yeah, I think you should wait until my mom gets here. She's with both Ms. Mendozas and Ms. Reznikov," Daya informed him.

He smirked, grabbed her hand to get her to her feet so she would walk with him, and he led her around the building. Allison chased after them and discreetly called someone.

"You sure didn't need her at that wild party. You're such a naughty girl, you went to Joel's twenty-first with Piper and the girls and did underage drinking. You flirted with me and you have to kiss me now because I'm a police officer and I said to," Mendez hissed.

Daya bit her lip nervously as he moved her up against the wall and rocked his pelvis back and forth. He trapped her body with both his arms and bent down too close to her face. She started trembling all over again. "Give me what I want."

"People can see us," Daya muttered, keeping her eyes trained on Allison, who was calling someone, hopefully Aleida or Gloria. Her heart was thumping wildly against her ribcage.

"They don't seem to care!" Hellman jumped in, and Daya jolted in shock when he gripped her chin much too tightly. She felt like it could leave bruises. They were both cornering her and touching her while snickering to themselves.

Daya gasped with relief when she saw Aleida jogging to where they were. "Take your grimy hands off my daughter!" she shouted and the men backed off immediately. "Yeah, I caught you red-handed. If you so much as talk to her without an adult present or touch her again, I'll put a restraining order against you motherfuckers, and don't think I won't!" Aleida threatened him in a strong voice while wrapping Daya in a warm hug. Allison smiled at the scene while folding her arms across her chest.

"Your sweet, precious baby and her friends crashed Joel Luschek's party. Daya was all over me, high, drunk, and giggling," Mendez reported.

Aleida rolled her eyes. "You the grown ass adult and not just that, you also a police officer! You should have called me and the other parents! Leave us alone, Mendez, and you too, Hellman. I wonder how Chief Hopper would feel about both of you trying to kiss and sexually assault a minor. Come on, baby." Aleida and Daya both went to her mother's car with Aleida's arm around Daya's shoulder and Daya's arm around Aleida's waist. "Remind me to yell at you about this partying later!"

Gloria and Allison were right behind them, linking arms. They got into the backseat of Aleida's vehicle.

"Hey, you should report them to Hopper. I want them gone, Ma," Daya said as Aleida started to drive.

"Oh, nena, believe me, so do I...but I'm afraid Hopper won't do nothin' about what happened to you since it wasn't statutory rape."

Daya was infuriated. "You won't even try to take action?" She didn't want to snitch on Piper, but to get them arrested, she might need to.

"Of course I will! That's where we're going! Red and Lourdes are meeting us there."

"Good, because they can creep their fellow inmates out, but not us."

"In fact, we need to tell both Charles and Hopper about Piscatella, Hellman, Kubra, Humphrey, Herrmann, Dr. Styver, and Haluk, because they're holding six little girls hostage, maybe more. They're the same age as you are," Gloria told Daya and Allison.

"Oh my god," Allison murmured. "That's awful! I hope they get captured and those girls are returned safely to their parents."

Daya's eyes widened and she clapped her hand over her mouth. "What? When did you find this out and how?"

"Two nights ago, I was hired as a maid at that house of horrors and I saw one of the girls working there as a slave. A lot of her kidnappers were dining there and she and I made them dinner. Kubra by mistake sent Red a picture of another girl naked and getting tortured and Lourdes saw some texts on Haluk's phone from one of those guys, I'm guessing Hellman, that proves Haluk feeds the girls and it's evidence that they're being tormented in that place," Aleida explained as they all got out of the car and joined up with Red and Lourdes. "It's just too bad Lourdes can't get it back from Haluk."

"Oh, Vasily is a hacker and Haluk's best friend from rugby. He can help with that by transferring the data from the phone to the police station computer," Red let them know.

"We can ask him, then!" Gloria said eagerly, and they beamed.

They walked into the station and asked to speak to Chief Hopper, who got shit done if someone showed him proof.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Hopper greeted them and they sat across from him. "Uh, Aleida...how are-"

"I need to speak to you about your officers, Hellman and Mendez," Aleida interrupted him sharply while shooting him a glare. "They tried to sexually assault my daughter, and Hellman and six of his accomplices are keeping at least six twelve-year-old girls imprisoned in what looks like a basement or an attic," Aleida reported.

Red took her phone out of her purse and opened the nauseating text from Kubra about little Maritza. She showed it to Hopper. "One of Hellman's buddies, Kubra, sent this to me by accident."

"How do I know that my officer is in on this?"

"Can you please just look into it?" Gloria asked. "You need to search the house. It's white...in the middle of the woods near the lake in Litchfield, just outside of a women's prison. Aleida was working there last night. She might be new in town after years of college, but you gotta listen to what she's saying. She ain't foolin' nobody, honest. We wouldn't lie about somethin' like this!"

"I've been to that house," Daya murmured. "My friends and I went by there on Halloween last year and we got eerie vibes. There was like, these shadows, moving around in the windows and we heard shrieking, sobbing, and yelling." Daya jumped in her seat when her mom closed her hand over her shoulder. "It was faint, but we didn't know what to do. Piper told us to run, so we did." A shiver ran up her spine.

"Yeah, we thought it was just our imagination, but there was a good reason we were scared," Allison chimed in. "You should help these innocent children before it's too late and Hellman and his pals go after other girls."

Hopper still looked doubtful. "I know that Piper Chapman likes to make up stories and so do Polly and Jessica Wedge, along with Brook Soso."

"If the rest of the girls were afraid, I trust them on that. It was Halloween and they were getting into the spirit and not sure if what they were hearing or seeing was real...but I would greatly appreciate it if you investigate the following people. Kubra Balik is illegally in the country. He was rotting away in a Bulgarian jail cell years ago for participating in selling girls as young as babies and women as old as forty, for sex. Mendez harassed my child and tried getting a kiss and probably more out of her!" Aleida snapped.

"I made an account on Myspace to trick Kubra into telling me about the black market and he sent me this child porn video of Officer Humphrey raping one of the trapped girls, the very one Aleida saw," Red went on.

"I actually happened to glance at a suspicious message from Haluk's phone when I took it from him since it was going off in class while I was substitute teaching!" Lourdes chimed in.

"I don't know what Haluk and Dr. Styver do, probably take care of her injuries and give her water and food, yet neither of them have uttered a word about those poor babies. You can either tell your employees they just lost their jobs and have them behind bars within an hour or come with us to the Brew where Kubra is working and too close to teenage girls for comfort. It's really your choice who you want to put away first, but we would all be safer if the seven of them were gone for good and those poor girls were released. We are reporting a few crimes here, _Chief_ Hopper, and we expect you to do your job." Gloria's voice cracked at the end of her speech and she took a huge inhale while looking up at the ceiling and blinking rapidly a few times to keep tears away.

Daya was filled with pride because her mom, her aunt figures, and her stand-in grandmother, were so strong and brave. They took care of everyone before themselves and made sure things happened.

Hopper sighed. "Get a lawyer for your case and we'll discuss this further."

"Done!" everyone chorused in unison.

That would be easy. Sue Gillian was the best lawyer in Queens. She would fight to get those kids back to whoever they belonged to.

The women and girls went to Starbucks so Red could call out Kubra in front of everyone who thought he was an outstanding citizen and Daya invited Poussey, Cindy, Janae, Brook, Pennsatucky, and Piper to meet them there because something very interesting was about to go down.

* * *

"Lida, you passed Starbucks!" Joy Hayes shouted. "I don't want us to be late!"

"You need to quit because our boss is a creep. I know this because Galina told me that Aleida McDonald saw him and a girl Cindy's age, who was in pretty bad shape at the house she was working at last night, so she asked Galina to check Kubra out online and he's a child predator. Galina sent him a text that says I won't be working for him anymore, and you shouldn't either."

"Are you serious?" Cindy's older sister demanded and Lida nodded. "This guy's worse than Joel! You need to call the cops. Find one who will listen, because there's stories about the police being idiots. I know it don't happen to you because you're white."

"Did he do anything to you when Franny and I left or say something inappropriate?" Lida asked. "You work the last shift of the evening, so…"

"Not really...he just put his baseball cap on my head and asked me to make frappuccinos with Jeanie Babson. Ain't your boyfriend's mama gonna get this fucker arrested? I don't want him around any of us! Ew!"

"Galina and some others already talked to the police chief, Hopper, and hopefully, they'll look into it or we'll need to handle this ourselves," Lida answered Joy. "She was planning on poisoning the sicko, but then she thought if she gave the pie to Kubra, he'd try to serve it at Starbucks or to his poor servant girls, or he'd be suspicious that neither Galina nor Aleida want any."

"Well, good, I think going to the police is a much better idea. I don't want her to go to prison!" Joy said. "Poison is such an amateur move! You can find other ways to get rid of the bad guys."

"Hey, you got a text from Cindy and I just received one from Galina. They're about to show everyone in Starbucks how gross Kubra is while they wait for their lawyers to call them back. You wanna go and watch?" Lida asked.

"Sure, just for that, honey. Text your man and tell him to get there pronto."

* * *

Red made sure the people she deeply cared about were watching as she walked over to Kubra with her wallet full of her children's pictures and purposely left it hanging open so Kubra would notice them. "Hi!" she greeted him with feigned politeness.

He reached his arms out to give her a hug, but she firmly shook her head no and turned away from him. "I'm not in the mood for physical contact."

"Okay, then, would you settle for whiskey at your house tonight? We can get down and dirty with some music."

Red cringed internally. "I'm sorry...I can't. Besides, I'm Russian, we prefer vodka."

"Why do you keep turning me down?" Kubra demanded to know.

"I told you, I'm busy," Red insisted while moving away from him. He wasn't getting the message that she needed him to back off. She was having trouble looking at him because he was so awful and ugly.

"Enough with that bullshit!"

"I just don't want to date anyone right now. My ex-husband had an affair and ever since then, I've been skeptical of any man who wants to go out with me."

"That's ridiculous! You got kids?"

"Yeah, ones you won't be touching!" she said loud enough to make Jeanie glance up from the frappuccino machine and raise her eyebrows. "You're worse than a fuckin' email scammer and a Nazi combined. Because of my trust issues...I decided to put your name into Google and social media sites to see if you had other girlfriends...and I saw something so much more fascinating." Red took a big breath and bellowed, "This scoundrel right here molests little girls and women all over the globe! He's been incarcerated for it before in Bulgaria!" She watched parents pick up their children and hold them just a bit closer. "He will strike again, and for that reason, I don't want to be near him with a ten foot pole!"

"You crazy psycho bitch!"

Jeanie dropped the frappuccino she had just made and it spilled all over the counter and dripped on the floor. "Clean that up, asshole," she snapped and untied her apron. "I'm done for today."

Vasily slammed his fist into Kubra's face and Lida appeared just as impressed as Red felt. "You will never go near my mother again or anyone else! Get lost, pedophile!"

They've successfully shamed Kubra out of Starbucks with his tail between his legs.

Jim was there to get a peanut butter cookie for Theresa. "You're never allowed back into the church again!" he yelled after Kubra.

* * *

Red invited the lawyer, her children, Lida, Gloria, Lourdes, Fahri, Aleida, Daya and her friends back to her place because she needed to tell everyone something. Tricia Miller, the eight-year-old girl Red and Lida frequently took turns babysitting since she was born, was there as well, but she absentmindedly read _Charlotte's Web_ while listening to music on headphones. The rest of them were all sitting on the beige couches while Red stood in front of them.

"Okay, now that I have all of your attention...Lida, Aleida, Leon, Daya, Gloria, Allison, and Lourdes know part of this story, but not the rest. Some of you don't know any of it, so we'll tell you. Aleida...you can start."

"I heard the whole thing," Daya said in a tight voice and walked to her room fast. Lida followed her.

"So did I," the other girl let Daya know. "My boyfriend's ma told me. Hey, is that you as a little girl?" She pointed to a picture of a younger Red with Daya and Alex at age two, both wearing white dresses with little purple flowers and pink sun hats. They were hugging on a patch of grass and smiling. It made Daya want to cry every time she looked at it.

"Yeah," she said stiffly.

"Who was with you, Pennsatucky? You guys were so cute!"

"No, that was my best friend Alex. Nine years ago, she went missing and she died." Daya covered her face with her hands while sinking down onto her bed. "Then I hear about another girl who was taken from her family...it's a trigger." She could feel Lida rubbing soothing circles on her back. "Let's just go back there and see what plans they come up with."

"You sure?"

Daya nodded at Lida's question.

* * *

Vasily couldn't believe his ears when his mother's friend told the group of people what was on Haluk's phone. The boy was like Vasily's little brother. Sue was furiously writing down notes.

"Oh, so _that's_ what that was!" Piper smirked. "Wow, I had no idea that Haluk was part of Freaks United. I mean...I called it, but I never thought he'd let people get away with hurting a girl who would probably be in our grade if she went to Equality Charter. Oh, he and the others are stone cold busted!"

"Yes, but we really need your assistance, please, Vasily," Galina practically begged.

"You want me to hack into my only really good guy friend's phone?"

Galina smacked him upside the head and then he knew she was serious. "I would never lie about something this major, you know that. I didn't snoop through his property, I just happened to see it. You would be saving these girls' lives. I'm so sorry your friend is in on it," she murmured. "He's friends with Kubra on Myspace."

"Yeah, your motha's right!" Gloria said.

"I saw him at the house, rememba? He ain't a good human being at all," Aleida put in.

Vasily began to think of all the women and girls in his life. Daya came out of her bedroom with his girlfriend looking like she'd just been crying or about to. His eyes passed over his mother who was sitting between two of the younger girls, and then he glanced at little Tricia.

Any of them could be in that girl's position. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if they were. Galina had always been truthful, a polar opposite of her lying ex-husband, and she was a wonderful mother. Tricia was like the sweetest little sister he'd never had. Lida had hit him with a bag of coins and given him a black eye, but she still didn't deserve to suffer what that girl was going through. Besides, he never should've worried Lida by stumbling into her house drunk in the middle of the night. She was also his best female friend. Fire raged inside of Vasily. "I'll get it," he said sharply. He rushed out of his house and drove to Haluk's place as fast as he could. Vasily rapped on Haluk's door until the loser opened up.

"Hey, V, my man, how are you doing?" Haluk asked.

Vasily tried to think up a fib to get Haluk to give him his phone willingly, but anger took over him and he grabbed the front of his shirt and shoved him against the wall. "I need your phone now!"

"Whoa, chill out, dude! No, I refuse to let you see it. Why?"

Vasily shook him. "The cops require proof that there are at least six young girls in danger at the house that's abandoned in the middle of the forest, near the women's prison and the lake adjacent to it. You're an accomplice to a crime and you're not letting 'em escape. You suck big time, man! I don't have the patience for this..." Vasily planted his fist into Haluk's face and knocked him to the ground long enough to swipe his phone that had just fallen out of his jacket pocket.

A few minutes later, he returned to his house. "I'll read every conversation that Haluk has had with these pigs and then send them to the cops," he announced.

"Thank you," Galina told him with a grateful smile.

"Anytime."

While Vasily tried to figure out the password on Haluk's mobile device, he watched Galina open her laptop to a Myspace profile that wasn't hers. "In case you're all curious, I pretended to be a slimeball and purchase Kubra's sex slaves. I sent the good police to his house. This is how they'll haul him and the others off to prison."

"That's so badass, Ma!" Yuri exclaimed.

"Way to go, Red!" Allison added.

"There's a lot of mom power right here," Poussey agreed.

"Yeah, you're like a decoy," Maxsim commented. "He'll think he's getting money, but nope! A line of officers will be waiting for him, Hellman, and Haluk, and as for the others, I hope they're just caught in the act of hurting the girls at their house."

"Me too," Vasily said as he finally accessed Haluk's data. "I got in! Now, I'll just send this to the entire New York police department with the exception of the three corrupt cops." He pressed a key. "Done."

"All right, son, you're awesome!" Leon complimented him. "We should toast my Aleida, though. If she didn't take that job, we wouldn't know there were girls who needed to be rescued."

"That's true!" Gloria said. "Okay, we have the evidence and our lawyers. We're ready to go!"

Red, Aleida, Vasily, and Sue Gillian were the only ones who really needed to see the cops, so everyone else went home and Lida and Vasily's older brothers took care of Tricia. Before he went next door to see Theresa, Jim called out, "God bless you all! I have so much faith in you."

There was a small interruption when Hopper accused Vasily of breaking into Haluk's phone, but with Sue backing him up, he was able to prove that he did it for all the right reasons.

"Mr. Reznikov had no heinous intentions, he did this to help get six or more innocent girls out of the clutches of their captors, would you kindly listen to what he has to say?" Sue asked Hopper.

Charles, Rikerson, and Hopper, with Red, Gloria, and Aleida's help, looked up something on their computers and matched it up with the girl in the video. "Shit, kid you know more than we thought you did," Hopper said to Vasily.

Aleida's story of seeing the girl at that house and having to sit outside while anxiety washed over her, Red showing Hopper the conversation she, disguised as Ronnie Banks, had with Kubra, and Haluk's data in the police station computer, got Hopper to round up a whole team of officers and divide them. Half would be at Lourdes' house and the other half would be at the house where the girls were being confined.

* * *

They were fourteen, but had the size and strength of older boys. Adarsh and Dario were hard workers and Leon was proud of them. He was starting to think of them as his sons, almost, as they had both admitted he was like a father figure to them. Dario had just been adopted by Yadriel's mother, Reba. He used to steal jewelry at gunpoint, but after some time in juvy and a couple of years of community service, he straightened up. He made friends with Yadriel, another young inmate who had gotten caught dealing drugs on the street corner, trying to get Reba more money, but she smacked some sense into her son. She got both him and Dario legal jobs. Dario's was working with Adarsh and Fahri for Leon, the local construction foreman, and Yadriel was training to be a boxer. He even owned a punching bag in his room. The boys hoped their friend would be an all-star one day when he grew up. Leon knew he had the potential, and he could see it in Dario, too. Adarsh was also on a good career path, he was aiming to be a nurse. Neither Hassan Abdullah nor Nathan Loving had any dreams of the future yet, except for marrying the girls they had crushes on, but that was okay, as the boys were all only in their young teens. Yadriel, Hassan, and Nathan would frequently help Fahri in his handyman work. At just thirteen, the three of them were quite skilled in manual labor. They would watch Leon, Fahri, and the two older boys at the construction sites. On breaks, the seven of them would talk often. It was usually conversation about their day-to-day lives, but this time, the topic was somber and almost hopeful.

"So the girls and women will be rescued tonight?" Dario asked. "Way to go, Daya's ma! Your wife is a heroine, Leon. So is Red. Her son's pretty smart too."

"They're outstanding human beings!" Leon told him.

"Yeah," the boys and Fahri agreed.

"I can't imagine being held hostage like that, but I'm glad they're gonna be safe from danger soon," Yadriel said.

"Me, too. I'm gonna be way more protective of my female friends and family members from now on," Hassan declared.

"So am I," Adarsh murmured, and the others nodded in concurrence.

"Some of the police and a doctor and a kid at our school are actually the ones committing this hellish deed?" Nathan asked rhetorically. "That's sickening."

"It is," Fahri muttered.

Adarsh stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. "Daya got attacked today as well...she told me. My god, I'm glad her girls were there...otherwise something a lot worse would've happened to her! Why would those evil motherfuckers just leave her alone...they were probably planning to take her and the others when each of them were by themselves! I would've lost her for good..."

"Thank the lord they're being captured so they can't inflict violence on her or anyone else," Fahri stated.

* * *

Hopper and Copeland came back to Lourdes' apartment with Daya, Aleida, Gloria, and Lourdes for protection in case anyone was watching or eavesdropping in on them. They had handcuffs at the ready and they were hiding in a closet near the foyer when someone banged on the door like a Nazi soldier. Lourdes answered it because she could tell that her family was terrified. Of course, she was too, but she wanted to protect them.

"Where's Ms. Mendoza?" Hellman growled and he and Piscatella stepped into the house. "We want to talk to her."

"I'm here," Lourdes replied coolly while walking out of the kitchen. "What the fuck are you bothering us with now?"

"If Haluk gets a message from either one of us, he's to come home immediately," Piscatella said angrily. Both cops' faces were beet red.

"Why, is he feeding your hostage?" Lourdes hollered.

Copeland and Hopper left the closet and Aleida walked with them. She took Haluk's phone out of her pocket and held it up. "It might be kind of hard to talk to him without this, you goddamn bastards!"

"Put your hands over your heads!" Hopper ordered the men. "You are under arrest for lewd acts with minors and human trafficking. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?" He and Copeland quickly handcuffed Hellman and Piscatella. "You two are fired, by the way."

* * *

"So now we just got Nicole, Chloe, Danielle, and Nona," Humps told the girls. "Our small Madeline and the big fat Anne have left us one and two years before they were really ready, but that's okay. Vee is preparing them to go, so make sure you say your goodbyes. Ronnie will be here any minute now." He smirked as Maritza and Ouija came downstairs, each of them holding onto the staircase. They were scantily dressed in black lingerie and matching high heels. Humps bent down to release the girls. Flaca's legs were shaking as she walked up to Maritza and wound her arms tightly around the shorter girl. "Te amo, chiquita," she whispered into Maritza's hair and kissed the top of her head.

"Yo también, te amo mucho," Maritza replied in a low murmur. Flaca kept Maritza in her arms and rocked her from side to side, never wanting to let her go, because if she did, she would feel more alone. Maritza was her best friend forever. No one understood her as much as Maritza did.

Behind Maritza, Flaca could see Ouija and Pidge hugging with just as much love between them. "I'll miss you," Flaca mumbled, choking up. "Don't...please don't die out there, Mari..."

Maritza hiccuped and let out a short sob as her chin quivered. "I...I'll try to survive, for you...I...I love you." Both girls gasped and screamed together as Humps ripped Maritza away from Flaca. "I love you, Marisol Gonzales!"

"I love you too, Maritza Ramos...always and forever!" Flaca blew her a few kisses and sank to the ground with Pidge, both of them crying for their other halves. Michelle and Alana had tears in their eyes as well.

"Alright, that's enough blubbering!" Herrmann yelled. He ripped his belt out of the loops on his jeans and struck Flaca and Pidge across their faces with it. Behind them, Alana and Michelle squeaked in horror.

"Aaaahhh...owww!" Flaca wailed, pressing her hand to the fresh laceration he'd made on her cheek. She felt blood and without looking, since she was grossed out at the sight of it, she wiped it on the back of her underpants. She turned away from Pidge, who was putting pressure on the gash on her forehead with her arm, and glanced at the other two girls.

"I told you to shut the fuck up, didn't I?" Herrmann growled. "Aw, now, don't be sad. Those mamis will be replaced with new ones. You still got all your daddies and your most important mama, Yvonne! Maybe Madeline and Anne will produce some little cunts and you'll have some babysitting to do. That'll be fun." He smirked.

Flaca swallowed hard and drew her knees to her chest. She didn't want to even picture Maritza being raped, even though she had been forced to watch it so many times in all the years they'd been trapped in the basement together. The girls were quiet as Herrmann chained them up like vicious dogs again.

"Nicole and Chloe, you did good at being silent. Therefore, you may attack Danielle and Nona. Dig your fingernails into their arms or legs or bellies, wherever you can reach." Nobody moved right away, but then the evil creature stepped hard on Michelle's ankles where they were bound and she shrieked. "Go!" he bellowed, making them all jump. "Or else Humps is gonna eat somebody here alive!" He crouched down to Alana and sank his teeth into her neck for a split second, making her cry out in pain. Flaca closed her eyes and stifled her whimpers. "Not plump enough like Danielle, but you tasted good, my Chloe." He stood up while licking his lips. "Hurry up before Humps gets back!" he commanded them.

Immediately, Michelle clawed Flaca's wrists, pinched her hard, and then scratched her bare stomach so much she broke the skin, but Flaca breathed in and out deeply as she endured every bit of the torture. On her other side, Alana was doing the same thing to Pidge.

* * *

The girls in the cellar had the choice to watch either Alex getting her head chopped off or Humps sexually assaulting Maritza and Ouija until their new master came for them. Nicky chose the latter, since she couldn't watch her Allie die like this. No one else was able to, either, and she couldn't blame them. The captives have been seeing each other get raped for many years and they've seen random homeless people be beheaded since the masters said no one would notice if these poor innocent souls were gone, but this would be the first time one of their own would be decapitated.

Kubra's two partners were missing and Alex had killed his hitman Aydin in self defense a few months ago, so Kubra really had it out for her. Now was his chance to murder her. Alex's wrists and ankles were cuffed to rollers on a torture rack and Kubra held the hacksaw high in the air. The plan after was for Kubra to throw her head into a crackling fire and Humps would eat her body. They wanted to sacrifice her.

A pounding at the door startled the girls and brought a sick grin to Kubra's face.

"Hey, this must be Ron!" His grin turned to a toothy snarl. "Stay right there, bitch, I'm showing him what we do when we misbehave," Kubra told the barely conscious and fully naked Alex, who was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. He sniggered at her. "Not like you can move anyway…" He left the room, pulling Maritza and Ouija along with him. The rest of the girls were not allowed to even acknowledge that they were leaving. Humps started alternating between drawing black squares on her in Sharpie and chewing on her private parts.

"Allie!" Nicky wailed. "Allie, I want you to know...I love you so much." She sniffled. "You've been with me since I got here…"

Alex only responded with a small groan. She had her glasses on. Kubra said that was so she could see her impending death.

"Ay dios mío, he gonna kill her for real after this oral rape," Blanca mumbled breathlessly.

"I can't look," Taystee muttered.

"All because of fuckin' Diaz and her stupid ass posse!" Maria stated bitterly.

There was thumping and shouting upstairs and then nothing for a while. They expected Kubra to re-enter the dark space, but instead, to their pleasant surprise, a hoarde of cops appeared. In an instant, the girls, with the exception of Alex and Lorna, started screaming, their high-pitched voices overlapping as they leaned into each other. "Help us! Please, you have to help us!"

Nicky could hardly believe it. Lorna banged on her cage as an officer hurried to it and let her out. Humps picked up the hacksaw and prepared to chop Alex's head clean off, but one of the policemen pointed a gun at him. "Drop your weapon, or I'll shoot!" His uniform read _C. Ford_.

Humps did not obey, so the African American man pulled the trigger and the cruel monster was deceased. His body slammed onto the floor with a loud bang. The girls were ecstatic, but it wasn't over yet.

"There's four more girls in the basement, sir!" Taystee informed him as he and the other cops released them, and then about five officers left to search the rest of the house. She and Maria stood up and leaned against a policewoman, B. Rogers, for support. They clutched her arms with all their might. A bald white man with _W. Donaldson_ printed on his blue uniform, helped both Nicky and Blanca up to their feet and another black man with the last name of Rikerson assisted Alex in sitting. He quickly set her free and a second lady cop, S. Fischer, gave them all blankets to wrap themselves in.

"Oh, muchas gracias..." Blanca said tearfully.

"I...I think she needs a stretcher." Lorna pointed at Alex as Rikerson carried the taller girl out.

"An ambulance is on its way, honey," Fischer assured Lorna. "You are all safe, I promise!"

"Get on the ground now!" one of the cops hollered from another room. "Or I'll put a bullet through your brain!" The gun went off, and Nicky only hoped it was in the hands of the police officer. A thud followed soon after.

Dr. Stryver and Garza went with the cops willingly. Vee had apparently run off. Stratman was dragged away in handcuffs with Flaca running after him, begging for the police to not take him away from her. Michelle, Pidge, and Alana grabbed her and they were all hugging. Herrmann was dead, along with Humps.

The ten girls started sobbing in relief. "You gotta catch the scumbag who took Mari and Ouija, please!" Flaca said imploringly.

"That was just one of us, sweetie," Fischer informed her gently. "There was no Ronnie Banks! A Good Samaritan saved you all. She told us where you were."

"Who was it?" Michelle wondered aloud as they were led into the back of the ambulance. Nicky was actually glad the sun wasn't out, since it would be too overwhelming. Only bright, red and yellow flashing lights lit up the night sky, and they were the most beautiful colors in the world. The girls were one step closer to freedom.

"One of my good friends, actually. A Mrs. Aleida McDonald," Ford replied.

"Mrs. McDonald...she works at my school," Lorna mumbled.

"Mine, too... Equality Charter?" Alana wanted to know, and Lorna nodded her head yes. "Weird how we went to the same school, but never met. We'll have to thank her," Alana decided.

"Mm-hm," Lorna agreed.

* * *

Theresa had just told Pastor Jim what happened to her baby over two glasses of Pinot Grigio and they share the large peanut butter cookie he bought for her. Juliana and Ray Nichols, Jim's assistant, were with them, but they weren't eating or drinking at the moment. "I'm sorry to ask this, Jim, but how can I believe in God if He took my daughter's life in the blink of an eye?" Theresa wonders out loud. Juliana gave Ray a meaningful stare since she, too, was wanting to ask him the same question. She'd already shared her story about losing Maritza with him, and he was extremely sympathetic.

"It wasn't God who did that, Theresa, I assure you. Mankind can be cruel and that's why Hell exists as well as Heaven. Evildoers stole Marisol from you and your ex-husband," Jim explained.

"God created them," Juliana said bitterly. "Why?"

"I don't think anyone knows," Ray responded and Jim nodded in agreement. "I lost faith in our Lord, too, when my niece was kidnapped about six years ago...but then Jim encouraged me to join the church, so being his good friend, I did. I was reminded that Jesus died for our sins...and people aren't necessarily born bad...they choose to be that way. Everyone comes onto this earth a pure human being, and something turns them..."

 _Juliana rushed home from work after her husband's phone call saying that he couldn't find Maritza anywhere in the house. She didn't believe he checked well enough and she was determined that Maritza was just hiding in one of the closets under a bunch of coats like the playful but mischievous kid she was. She always wanted people to find her and spend a long time looking. Juliana's car screeched to a stop at the curb and she got out, not bothering to turn off the engine. "Maritza? Sweetie, where are you? You're scaring Mommy and Daddy. This isn't silly anymore." She glanced around for Maritza in the front yard and then opened the gate to the back, but her angel wasn't there. She unlocked the door and went inside her house. "Maritza Diana Ramos!" she shouted, loud enough that her voice echoed. "You need to answer me! Duardo, don't just sit there looking stressed, help!" She opened the pantry door, hoping to see Maritza trying to sneak treats before dinner, but she wasn't there. Juliana walked fast through every room downstairs screaming Maritza's name, but there was no sign of her little girl. She ran up the steps and threw open the bedroom and laundry room doors. "Maritza Diana, come out now, or no dessert for you!" She peered under the beds, crawled into the attic in hers and Duardo's room, combed through the racks of clothes in the closets, and even checked if she was curled up in the washer or dryer, but she wasn't. "Honey, where are you?" she asked more weakly and desperately._

 _"We lost her, Jules. She ain't here."_

 _The black-haired woman turned around to glare at her useless lump of a spouse. "You weren't watching her! Children slip away if you don't keep an eye on them every second of the day. What the fuck was keeping you so busy, Duardo, that you let our seven-year-old daughter run away and put herself in danger, huh?" She began to cry. "Why are you such a loser? I married a complete idiot!"_

 _"I already apologized-"_

 _"No, that's not enough. It won't bring Mari back. How long exactly has she been missing? I need to report this."_

 _"About an hour, but we should do a search around the neighborhood. Maybe someone has her, but they don't know what our address or phone number is."_

 _For the next three hours, they asked people if they've seen a girl with black hair and dark brown eyes and they said she was seven and she had on jeans, a puffy pink jacket, a purple flowered long-sleeved shirt, brown booties, and she was four feet tall. The responses were all the same. "No, sorry...I hope you find her!" with stupid sympathetic smiles plastered on their faces. Juliana knew they'd just go back to what they were doing because nothing bad was happening to them. It had gotten very dark and the air was freezing. Juliana was shivering, but not just from the cold. They had no luck and now they had to search every block in New York City. It must have taken them all night, but Juliana wasn't losing hope. She made a missing person sign and pasted the latest picture of Maritza she'd taken in the middle of the paper. She taped the signs to street poles and walls inside Maritza's school, but it was all to no avail. She called the police, and they started an investigation._

 _One week later, they notified her that Maritza was found dead in a car and the body was burned to a crisp. Juliana thanked them and kicked Duardo out of both her house and her life. Because of that bastard, Maritza was no longer on this earth._

The doorbell rang, startling Juliana out of her thoughts. She was a bit disoriented, so she asked Ray to see who it was. Maybe it was Gloria giving an explanation of why she'd been staying away from Juliana and Theresa all day.

"Nobody by that name lives here," Ray answered a question Juliana didn't hear. "Hey, you don't have to leave...Juliana, I think this is your daughter. It's a miracle. She's alive!"

Standing there on the porch, with her black hair straightened, her face made up, and her body barely clothed and covered in wounds, was a prepubescent girl who resembled Maritza.

"Mama?" the little girl squeaked in a broken voice. She sounded like she didn't talk much at all.

"Maritza? Is that you, baby?"

The girl nodded her head yes.

"¡Oh, mija, ven aqui!" Juliana opened her arms wide and Maritza ran full speed into her embrace.

 **my daughter, come here**

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, Guest and VeraRose19!**


	7. Out of Harm's Way

**Note: The recently rescued girls will meet most of the other girls and guys next chapter when they go to school with them a week later :) but don't expect a Blanca/Diablo and/or Maria/Yadriel kisses right away because they're just barely going to start being friends, as they are both petrified of guys. They have to ease into any kind of relationship with a boy or man, whether it be platonic or romantic.**

 **Warning: abuse in flashback and references to traumatic situations.**

 **Yay, season 7 in 10 days!**

Charles had called the parents of the missing girls to happily let them know that their daughters were rescued and now in the hospital. When she'd gotten it, Diane wasn't sure if she was just imagining it, since she was half asleep. After a minute of him convincing her that this was true, her baby was alive and found after all, the realization sunk in and she sobbed in relief. While crying and thanking him, she got out of bed.

"Oh, good, you're up! Let's go see her," Gloria murmured with a smile as she stepped into Diane's bedroom with Aleida.

"Yeah, and we can't bring our men with us since they're probably traumatized by the male species," Aleida chimed in.

Diane was confused, as they seemed to have already known the girls had been saved. "Wait, he told you about Allie, too?"

"Yeah...we're like her aunts," Gloria replied.

Diane frowned. "He really talked to you two first? I'm her mama!"

"Chill out, Di, it ain't like that...it's a long story, we gonna tell you in the car," Aleida mumbled as she and Gloria went downstairs. Diane followed them. She rushed to her green vehicle and chose to drive to the hospital since she wanted to get there as fast as possible. She got behind the wheel and stepped on the gas pedal before her friends had even closed their doors. She knew Alex would still be there even if she didn't hurry, and she didn't want a speeding ticket, so she went just under the limit. The tires squealed as she turned corners and she honked and swore to herself at red lights. Luckily, there weren't a lot of cars on the road to slow her down or cut her off. She didn't usually have road rage, not that she could remember, but she didn't want to miss another second of her little girl's life.

"So, first of all...you remember when I took that maid job a few days ago?" Aleida wondered aloud.

"Yeah?" Diane beeped the horn at someone who sped by her. "Fucking asshole almost hit me!"

"That was way too close," Gloria agreed. "Aleida, go on!"

"Okay, so when I went in that house and saw a sick looking child, Maritza, I would find out, I immediately knew something was wrong. I helped her clean and cook for these creepy motherfuckers and then they tossed me out on the porch like last week's garbage just for talkin' to the poor thing. Fast forward, I tell Red, and she looks up Kubra Balik, since he was one of the weirdos, the one who hired me, in fact. She was interested in him, so that's why I talked to her about it. After her research, we found out he does sex slave trade on the black market and all that gross shit."

"Aleida informed me about it that night," Gloria piped up. "Then, Red saw that there were more girls in that scary place, she tricked Kubra into selling her Maritza and this other girl by pretending to be an online pedophile, and we got her son's help to get evidence to the cops...we honestly didn't know Alex was there too, but lucky for us, she was released from captivity along with the other eleven."

"So, Red and I did it! We brought Alex back home. We didn't let you or the other parents in on it because we didn't want to get y'all's hopes up."

"Yeah, I get it...I wouldn't have wanted to be disappointed if it wasn't my baby." Diane beamed and squeezed Gloria's hand and then reached behind her to hi-five Aleida. "Thank you so much, besties! You can pass that on to Red."

"We will. You're very welcome!" Gloria told her happily.

"It was our pleasure!" Aleida put in.

Once Diane pulled up to the hospital, she and the other two women got out of her car. Charles was by the doors and she ran to him as fast as she could, tears of joy crawling down her cheeks. Gloria and Aleida rushed after her. Diane threw her arms around Charles and he hugged her back. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't stop saying it. Oh my god!" She breathed in and out deeply and sniffled. "Where is she? What room?" she asked, pulling away from him slightly so his hands were just cupping her elbows and her palms rested against his upper arms.

"No problem! Three-oh-eight," he informed her, and she dashed to the elevator with Gloria and Aleida. She punched the button for the third floor. "Come on, hurry up, I wanna see my baby!" Diane hissed. She wouldn't stop hitting the button until the doors opened. As soon as they did, the three women raced to Alex's room. They stepped inside and then Diane saw her daughter.

The ladies gasped while going right to her cot where she lay pretty much still with her eyes closed, but her chest heaved up and down. An African American policewoman was beside her in a chair and she stood up right away.

"Hi, you must be Alex's mother. I wanted to stay with her until you got here. My name is Berdie Rogers," the lady introduced herself and extended a hand toward Diane so that Diane could shake it.

"Yes, hello, Berdie, thank you! I'm Diane Vause." She gestured towards Gloria and Aleida. "These are my soul sisters and Allie's aunt figures, Gloria Mendoza and Aleida McDonald. Um...can the three of us be in here by her side? We want her to see all of us when she wakes up. She ain't in a coma, right?"

"No, she isn't...she was knocked out cold when we found the girls, but she came to in the ambulance. She's just sleeping right now." They breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Of course you all can be present, but it could be a little overwhelming," Berdie warned her. "So maybe try approaching her slowly and talking one at a time and in a soft voice, but loud enough for her to hear you. The poor girl grew up in chaos and she's been around way too many violent and creepy men." Diane shuddered and her heart cracked upon hearing that. "Maybe with women it could be different, plus, you're family...and be careful with touching her, even stroking her hair or later hugging her...she's a little sensitive."

"Don't worry, we know the protocol for this sorta thing," Gloria murmured.

"Okay, good. You can be in here as long as you'd like," Berdie informed them kindly. "Oh, and she had glasses on, but we had to take those for fingerprints."

"She can't see without them, so please give them back to her as soon as possible," Diane practically begged the cop.

"I will." With that, Berdie left the room.

As Diane got closer to Alex and sat in the chair right next to her, she could see that Alex really did survive, but she'd obviously been through a lot of extremely horrible abuse. Her raven hair was a tangled mess and she had her left arm in a sling. Bruises in various stages, angry red wounds, and scars were scattered all over her face, neck, and wrists. She was in a white hospital gown with blue dots, and she was probably also battered underneath the thin piece of clothing she was currently wearing. She had a huge black eye and her bottom lip was cut. Her injuries were eerily similar to Diane's.

"Oh, baby, what did they do to you?" Diane asked tearfully. She began to brush her daughter's hair back from her ashen face, but opted not to, since she didn't want to startle the girl. "I'll make them all pay, I swear I will..." Diane gulped down the lump in her throat.

"Mama?" Alex whispered. Diane had to strain her ears to hear her. She groaned quietly and rolled over to face Diane.

* * *

"Mama, where am I? Is that you?" Her eyes fluttered open and Diane looked up at Gloria and Aleida. They were all smiling with moisture in their eyes.

"Yes, sweetheart, it's me, your mama. You're in a hospital bed, the doctors will make you all better!"

"You're really here?" Alex glanced around the room in confusion while squinting. She remembered the women who were like aunties to her way back when. "Glo and Lei-lei?"

"Yes, we're all here, Allie," Gloria assured her. "We ain't leaving you. We just wanted to see how you're doing, honey."

Alex grabbed onto Diane's hand. "Mama, Auntie Glo, Auntie Lei-lei, I missed you so much!"

"We missed you too, nena," Aleida told her.

"We're so happy you're back," Diane added.

"Life wasn't the same without you, _bebe_." Gloria chimed in.

"Hug!" Alex held out her good arm, which was long and lanky instead of short and chubby like they once had been the last time the women had ever seen her. Diane gently helped Alex to sit up, and then after joining Alex on the cot, she wrapped her arms around her little girl. Alex began weeping and hyperventilating in Diane's embrace as Diane rocked her from side to side in a soothing motion while humming to her.

"You're alright, Allie. I promise, you're okay now! I know it hurts, my baby one. I know. The most important thing, though, is that you're with us again. That was my wish for nine years, and it finally came true! We've reunited...you're safe at last." Diane smoothed her hand down Alex's black locks and kissed her temple.

"Don't let go, Mommy." Alex hiccuped and whimpered. "Please, don't leave me."

"I won't, sweetie. Never again," Diane promised her.

"He was gonna kill me before the nice police came in, and I was so scared! I didn't wanna die..."

"I bet. I'm glad they got there just in time!"

Alex buried her injured face into Diane's shoulder. "Me too. I love you, Mama..."

"I love you too, my little angel. I never gave up on you."

* * *

"Where's Alex? I wanna see Alex! She better have made it." Nicky pushed herself into an upright position on her cot and glared at the nurse. "I'll sleep once I know."

"That information is confidential."

"Can I go now and visit her and some of my friends here? I'm not all that bad off, really."

"Honey, I can't release you until your parents sign-"

"Jesus Christ, I'm fine, I told you," she grumbled. "They're dead to me."

"You also need to talk to a child psychologist and the cops need to clear you...along with that, blood work to drive nutrition and fluid replacement and urinalysis for infections and antibiotics."

Nicky rolled her eyes. "I got no idea what any of that is, but fine...whatever."

"Bottom line is, you cannot leave this room yet, okay?"

"'Kay. It's like being trapped in fuckin' confinement again!" Nicky growled. "At least I'm a little more comfortable and not completely restrained..."

"I understand how it can feel that way, and I'm so sorry, but I don't make the rules. Try to get some rest! Good night, it's the end of my shift."

Nicky sighed as Blanca's parents rushed to her and wrapped her in long, loving hugs. She, too, wasn't that badly injured. She had a black eye and bruises. They were all speaking in Spanish and crying. Nicky could only wish that her reconciliation with her own mother and father could be that way, but she knew that was impossible. They were probably busy working and she'd have to stay in her room overnight. She only grinned when Blanca pointed at her with a shaky smile and explained that Nicky was one of her best friends and she was glad their cots were next to each other. Nicky knew some Spanish from all the years she'd spent with the girls whose native tongues were in that language, so she was able to understand a little bit of what the Floreses were saying.

* * *

"He took my baby!" Ouija practically yelled at Officer Fischer. "I need to get to Miguel _now_!"

"Who?"

"Humps, dumbass, who the fuck do you think?" Ouija asked angrily.

"Sorry, I knew it was one of your captors, but I wasn't sure which one you were referring to. I'll get your son back to you-"

"Good, it should be easy now that Humps is dead," Michelle muttered.

"Yeah...but even when we get my little boy, where we gonna live?" Ouija wondered aloud.

"I dunno. Taystee so lucky she was able to get ahold of Ms. Tendler and Jamaris," Pidge grumbled.

Officer Fischer looked down at the girls sadly. "Why don't you stay with me until we can find you a good foster home? I've got a daughter, Susan Junior, just a little older than you."

"Only if you succeed in finding Miguel," Ouija told her, and the other two girls nodded in agreement.

* * *

When they got home, Flaca and Theresa wouldn't let go of each other for a single second and they walked to the couch together. Nobody except the girls she was with, had called her _bebé_ since she was five. The funny thing was, she felt like she was that age all over again. Theresa took a seat on one of the cushions and Flaca lay across the sofa with her head on her mother's lap. Theresa covered her with a blanket and gently stroked her hair as she shut her eyes and kept them closed. Her vision was blurry from so many blows around her eyes. The gray-haired man who had answered the door sounded like he was now doing the dishes.

"¿Quién es él, Mama?"

 **Who is he, Mommy?**

"Ese es Jim, un pastor. Él me ayuda en la casa y somos amigos muy cercanos. Él es agradable."

 **That's Jim, a pastor. He helps me out around the house and we're very close friends. He's nice.**

The doorbell chimed and Jim opened the door. "Officer Bell, come in."

"Oh, it's Lieutenant now. The captain promoted me," the blonde woman informed him.

"Congratulations! I'm going to give you girls some privacy," Jim said and showed himself out.

Bell knelt down to the couch's level. "Marisol, el teniente Bell tiene algunas cosas que preguntarte," Theresa informed Flaca.

 **Marisol, Lieutenant Bell has some things to ask you.**

Flaca shook her head and hid her face in her mother's shirt. "Mamá, un policía me llevó. Son malas personas," she mumbled and whimpered. "¡No me hagas hablar con ella, por favor!"

 **Mommy, a policeman took me away. They're bad people. Don't make me talk to her, please!**

"I won't hurt you," Bell said in a calm voice. "I need to take your statement, though, and I can ask you yes and no questions. You can nod for yes or shake your head for no, okay? I can assure you that you are completely safe here with me and your mama."

"Lieutenant, how about she tells me her answers to your questions? She's just not comfortable around strangers, especially cops," Theresa said.

"Okay, I can respect that. I can give you a list of questions to ask her, but it needs to be in front of me."

"That's fine. Her name is Marisol Gonzales and she's ten years old." Theresa helped Flaca sit up and held her with the blanket covering both of them. Theresa took a piece of paper from Bell and read off of it. "Okay, honey, aquí vamos. ¿Estás herido?"

 **Here we go. Are you hurt?**

Flaca gave a slight nod.

"¿Puedes mostrarme dónde duele y dónde te tocaron en esta muñeca?" Theresa asked while Bell pulled an American Girl doll, Josefina, out of her bag. Flaca appreciated it looking like her. Theresa took it from the lieutenant and gave it to Flaca.

Flaca pointed to invisible bruises around Josefina's ankles and then her wrists where the handcuffs were on her. She gestured to the doll's neck where she was being choked earlier and to all of her private parts.

 **Can you show me where it hurts and where they touched you on this doll?**

"¿Puedes hacerme fotos de lo que te hicieron hacer?" Theresa grabbed a sheet of paper on a clipboard and crayons from Bell and placed them on Flaca's lap.

 **Can you draw me pictures of what they made you do?**

Flaca had had a lot of practice sketching dresses she could only dream of wearing and spinning around in, so she'd gotten to be a pretty good artist. She hoped her drawings were accurate. She sketched eight black-haired brown stick figures and four dark and fair-haired pink stick figures with each of their four limbs in handcuffs attached to chains with duct tape over their mouths. She colored the room yellow and placed a few more red stick figures around the ones that represented her and her fellow captives.

"In the news, I would like to remain anonymous. What about you, Mari? Do you want your name or your face in the paper or on television?

Flaca shook her head no.

"Okay, that's all for tonight. We can set a trial in the next few days and I'll tell you when Marisol's story will be on the news," Bell reported.

"Thank you," Theresa told her, standing up and shaking her hand.

* * *

"Mamá, ¿puedo tener una manta y más ropa?" Maritza asked Juliana. "¡Estoy congelado hasta los huesos!"

 **Mama, can I have a blanket and more clothes? I'm frozen to the bone!**

Juliana put a blanket around Maritza and held her. "Puedes tomarlo, ya sabes. No necesitas preguntar," Juliana let her know in a gentle voice.

 **You can just take it, you know. You don't need to ask.**

"¿De verdad?"

 **Really?**

"Es verdad."

 **It's true.**

Maritza frowned. "No quiero hacerte enojar y lastimarme".

 **I don't want to make you mad and hurt me.**

"Maritza, nunca te abusaríamos. Nosotros prometemos. Te amamos demasiado para hacer eso. No podemos imaginar ponerte un dedo cruel sobre ti," Juliana assured her. **  
**

 **Maritza, I would never abuse you. I promise. I love you too much to do that. I can't imagine laying a cruel finger on you.**

"Okay, Mommy!"

"Lo siento, cariño, pero tu ropa de cuando eras pequeña ya no te queda bien. Ahora eres una niña grande. Puedo comprarte toda la ropa que quieras para mañana, pero por ahora, ¿por qué no? Te envuelvo en uno de mis pares de pijamas?" Juliana offered.

 **I'm sorry, honey, but your clothes from when you were little don't fit you anymore. You're a big girl now. I can buy you all the clothes you want tomorrow, but for now, why don't I bundle you up in one of my pairs of pajamas?**

"¿Qué tal tu camisón de flores amarillas? Me encantaba usar eso cuando te fuiste de la noche a la mañana."

 **How about your yellow flowered nightgown? I loved wearing that when you were gone overnight.**

"Claro. Subiré y lo conseguiré."

 **"Sure. I'll go up and get it."**

"¿Puedo venir yo también?" Maritza asked. "No quiero estar solo. Es oscuro y aterrador." **  
**

 **"May I come too? I don't wanna be alone. It's dark and scary."**

Juliana nodded her head yes. "Por supuesto."

 **"Of course."**

Maritza held Juliana's hand and gripped the railing while going upstairs. They walked into Juliana's bedroom and then her closet. Juliana pulled out her cotton nightgown that Maritza adored so much. She gave it to her daughter, who undressed herself and slipped into it. It was to her ankles and it had long sleeves to keep her warm.

"¡Gracias, Mamá!" It was weird to be smiling this much. She forgot what her own dimples looked like.

"De nada. ¿Que quieres para cenar, princesa? Debes estar hambriento." Juliana may have been reading Maritza's mind, since Haluk had n't fed her since breakfast.

 **You're welcome. What do you want for dinner, princess? You must be starving.**

"¡La pasta que solías hacer, no la he tenido en mucho tiempo!" **  
**

 **The pasta you used to make, I haven't had that in forever and ever!**

"Está bien, ¡entonces tendrás eso! Vamos a la cocina, ¿de acuerdo?"

 **Okay, then you'll have that! Let's go into the kitchen, okay?**

Maritza realized she had to walk down the stairs and her legs started shaking. She didn't want to be pushed down them like she always was in that horrible house. "Mommy, no...no puedo hacerlo." She backed away from the top steps. "Me voy a caer."

 **I can't do it. I'm going to fall.**

"No te dejaré. Te tendré todo el tiempo. Puedes sostener la barandilla y mi mano nuevamente para mantener el equilibrio," Juliana murmured. "¿Oye me puedes mirar? Soy tu mamá. Nunca jamás pondría tu vida en peligro. ¿Puedes confiar en mi?"

 **I won't let you. I'll have you the whole time. You can hold the banister and my hand again for balance. Hey, can you look at me? I'm your mama. I would never, ever put your life in danger. Can you trust me?**

Maritza nodded. She decided to do what her mother said, because she wanted food in her belly and she didn't want to be stuck there while Juliana made it. She was glad and surprised at the same time that Juliana didn't force her, but she coaxed her instead. The trip down was challenging and she would've slipped had Juliana not had such a strong hold on her hand and Maritza not gripped the railing with all her might

 _Juliana told Maritza to play with her doll while she set up dinner. She made pasta and salad within an hour and called Maritza in to help set the table. She would hand her mommy the utensils and napkins while Juliana laid them on the table, because it was too high for the little girl to reach. Then, Juliana set out a small plate of pasta with salad for Maritza, and had her pour her own water. She didn't want the salad, even after her pasta, but Juliana bribed her daughter with an extra bedtime story and told her to close her eyes while she fed her the salad. Of course, she announced, "Bip, bip...Ramos Girls Express viene a través de..." and Maritza gobbled it up within seconds. Juliana's mothering tactics worked every time._

 ** _Beep, beep... Ramos Girls Express coming through..._**

"Hay un montón de fideos y salsas." Juliana laid out penne, bows, tortellini lasagna, and ravioli noodles and Alfredo, marinara, and pesto sauces, for Maritza.

 **There are a bunch of noodles and sauces.**

"¡Quiero los arcos con pesto y pizza de queso!" Maritza squealed while jumping up and down.

 **I want the bows with pesto and cheese pizza!**

"Está bien, estará listo pronto. Puedes sentarte en la mesa de la cocina y descansar si quieres."

 **Okay, it'll be ready soon. You can sit at the kitchen table and rest if you want to.**

"¿También vas a comer?" Maritza asked when Juliana set her bowl, plastic silverware, a napkin, and a glass of water down in front of her.

 **Are you gonna eat, too?**

"Ya lo hice. Esto es todo tuyo, niña."

 **I already did. This is all yours, baby girl.**

"Me alimenté con carne en cada comida, incluso en el desayuno, mamá. A veces era asqueroso o demasiado duro o blando o había sangre. Extraño mucho tu cocina."

 **I got fed meat for each meal, even breakfast, Mama. Sometimes it was gross or too hard or mushy or there was blood. I missed your cooking a lot.**

"Oh, mi pobre pastelito. Puedes tener segundos o tercios."

 **Oh, my poor sweetie pie. You can have seconds or thirds.**

"No puedo hacer nada hasta que lo pones dentro de mi boca como solía hacerlo Haluk."

 **I can't do anything until you put it inside my mouth like Haluk used to do.**

"A esta edad, Maritza, comemos con una cuchara, tenedor o cuchillo. Con esta comida, puedes usar un tenedor." Juliana explained gently. "No eres un bebé, recuerda."

 **At this age, Maritza, we eat with a spoon, fork, or knife. With this meal, you can use a fork. You're not an infant, remember.**

Maritza started shoveling her food in until her mouth was chuck full. It was strange, feeding herself, but she liked it. "Cariño, no pongas demasiado o te atragantarás...tal vez solo unos pocos fideos a la vez, ¿vale? Espere hasta que termine de masticar antes de pasar al siguiente bocado."

 **Honey, don't put too much in or you'll gag on it...maybe just a few noodles at a time, okay? Wait until you finish chewing before you get to the next bite.**

"Lo siento, mami," Maritza mumbled after swallowing and wiping her mouth.

 **Sorry, Mommy.**

"Está bien, nos separaron a la edad en que empezaste a aprender todo esto."

 **It's okay, we were ripped away from each other at the age you started learning all this.**

When Maritza was finished, she washed her dish and glass. Then, Juliana gave her a big brownie sundae with vanilla ice cream, bananas, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles. She gobbled that up within seconds while they watched a kid friendly movie, _Aquamarine_.

* * *

Once the girls were found safe and back with their families or under police protection in Tasha Jefferson, Carmen Aziza, Ramona Contreras, and Michelle Carerras' cases, everyone went back to their drama-free lives. At Aleida and Leon's guesthouse, Daya was anxious about her mother's upcoming lecture while Leon and Fahri were working and Gloria was spending time with Diane. "It's kind of a good thing I have you all to myself at the moment," Aleida started out.

"I swear, I've done all my homework that's due tomorrow."

"I'm glad, but that's not what I wanted us to talk about."

Daya sighed. "Okay, lay it on me." She was sure she was grounded.

Aleida turned on the fireplace and sat down with Daya on the couch. She held her daughter close to her. "Do you remember when you and Alex were two and you both always danced to music that me, Gloria, and Diane were playing?"

This brought tears to Daya's eyes, but she wasn't sure why Aleida was bringing it up. "Yeah. It was like exercise for toddlers...shaking our little butts! We also had our first tea party with all our Barbies and Polly Pocket dolls. That was a fun play date I had with her. She even pretended she was my wife. Later, when she went to Heaven, you had to explain to me that I was a widow, even though it was a fake thing. It was depressing." Daya sniffled.

That was the last time you saw her. You two wanted to do it before we left for Mexico...but I ain't here to bring up happy memories that will make you cry. Maybe you'll wanna make new ones...because she's the girl who was kidnapped for nine years and returned to Diane tonight. I wanted you to be thinking about her so it wouldn't be weird or shocking if I just blurted it out."

Daya's brain stopped working for a second and then she turned around, sort of feeling like she wasn't in her own body. "Wait...Alex is _alive_?" she asked with her hands covering her mouth.

"Yes, nena."

"Did you know before when we were all helping you and Gloria and Red get her back to Diane?"

"We were almost certain, but not quite, which is why we just kept that to ourselves. We didn't want to let anyone down if we made an untrue assumption."

"I'm glad you two were right!"

"Me, too."

"I'm so dumb...I trusted some of the assholes who did awful things to her."

"So did I."

"Can I see her?"

"Yes, tomorrow, if she's up to meeting you again. Your appearance has changed in the last nine years, so you're a stranger to her right now. She only recognized me when I went with Gloria and Diane to see her in the hospital because I'm an adult. You can't take this personally...she has extreme post-traumatic stress disorder. Let _her_ visit _you_ , not the other way around. I doubt she's real fond of surprises."

"She used to love them, but it's not shocking that she'll probably hate them after her nightmarish experience. I get it. I want to make her feel as comfortable as possible."

Aleida kissed the top of Daya's head. "You're a great friend, sweetie."

"Piper _has_ always called me the compassionate one of our group. She's correct about some things, I guess."

"Yeah, but otherwise, she a real bitch," Aleida muttered harshly and Daya snickered. "Yo...when did you meet Lorna again?"

"We were seven and she married Yusef and I officiated their wedding. Lorna had such a pretty dress on. I teased Yusef so much after that. I was like 'Yusef's got a girlfriend!' and then to Lorna, I asked, 'Ew, you like my bratty little cousin?'" Daya sighs sadly. "I miss her a ton, especially when I'm talking about her."

"She was in the same desolate place as Alex, which means she was also saved, nena! She gonna visit you tomorrow morning!"

Daya gasped happily as a feeling of elation spread through her being. "Oh my god, it's a dream come true! Both my best friends...they're back!"

"Yes, it's so exciting! Now...somethin' else. Honey, why were you at an adult party where there would be drinking and drugs?" Aleida asked.

"Piper's brother took us. He's a friend of Joel's, and Piper wanted all of us to go. I'm sorry I went, Ma. I just wanted to see what it would be like." Daya looked down at her lap in shame.

Aleida sighed. "I knew Piper had to be involved somehow! Peer pressure ain't a good thing. Don't do something if you don't think it's right, even if your friends do it."

"I was going to back out, but I changed my mind because we were celebrating finally being in middle school. Besides, Piper said if we went, it would make us popular."

"I understand that, but since when do you care about popularity? You've always wanted to stand out, kid."

Daya shrugged. "It's the only way to be accepted into her circle. There are times when I want to dump Piper, but I can't, because everyone would take her side. I just have to impress her."

"You are not allowed at an adult party and you are still the coolest girl ever if you stay home or hang out with your friends at the movies. Don't worry about what your friends think of you. If they don't love you for who you are, then they're not your true friends. Don't let people push you into anything, okay?"

"I know. I just don't want her to dump me because the others will probably side with her and I'll be a loner. I have to fake it sometimes."

"Yes, but you don't have to go to a mature party where older men will take advantage of you like John did and Mendez and Hellman tried to do. You don't have to be best friends with Piper either. Did your friends like this party?"

"We all did at first, but then, it stopped because this girl fell down the stairs. That's really all I remember. We wanted to slip away quietly, but Piper insisted we get a ride home from the cops. We pretended we were twenty-one. Piper got us fake IDs. Don't tell Leon or the other parents, please!"

"Oh, I won't, don't worry. That's not my place, Also, your stepfather doesn't need to hear about it because I'm taking care of it."

"Thank you!"

"You girls are way too young for that sort of party, though. Any of you could throw one that's just for high schoolers."

"Oh yeah, great idea, Ma! I'll maybe ask Poussey to organize it like as a welcoming party for herself so people can get to know her. It would have to be when her parents aren't home, though."

"I was talking about a small gathering, not the whole school, and at least one of her parents would need to be home so things don't get out of control."

"Okay, fine," Daya says, just to get Aleida off her back. "Maybe I could throw one with you home. It would be for Alex, Lorna, and Poussey."

"That sounds nice!"

* * *

As soon as Blanca and her parents arrived home, she thought it was a strange environment, but she really liked it. The place seemed so calm and inviting, the complete opposite of where she'd been living for the past nine years.

Later that night, Blanca threw up in the toilet, but instead of hitting her, Trina held her hair back from her sweaty face. Blanca rinsed her mouth out and brushed her teeth with Kids' Crest and Trina's extra toothbrush, because her own was too small to hold. Then, she scrubbed her face clean and Trina used soap to remove the eye makeup. She told Blanca to close her eyes because it would hurt if she didn't. Vee had never been careful of that. Her motto was always, _no pain, no gain!_

Blanca cried at the way her mom was being so gentle with her injuries when taking her makeup off. When she held on to her mom, it was the best thing in the world. Nobody knew her like her mom did. She missed Haluk, but she didn't really need him at the moment. She wasn't famished, nor did she have open wounds that had to be stitched up or broken bones that required casts. Trina and Chad could take care of her from now on while she was at home.

"Mamá, quiero darme una ducha," she announced. "Me siento sucia."

 **Mama, I want to take a shower. I feel dirty.**

"Adelante, bebé."

 **Go ahead, baby.  
**

"¿Donde esta Papá?"

 **Where is Daddy?**

"Él está viendo la televisión, ¿por qué?"

 **He's watching television, why?**

"Gracias, señora," she muttered automatically and then ran to where Chad was sitting on the couch with a bowl of Hot Cheetos in his lap as a fútbol game was playing. Blanca gulped, fearing that her own father would be turn out to be evil when she was alone with him, but she had to do this so he wouldn't be angry with her later for not offering any services. "Hola, papá," she greeted him and sat down next to him while sitting up straight with her hands trembling in her lap. She chewed on her bottom lip in a sensual manner while her insides churned."Me voy a bañar, ¿te gustaría tomar uno conmigo? Haré lo que me pidas. Seré una buena chica, lo prometo." Blanca's chin quivered as she thought of how Stratman would repeatedly force himself on her in the small tub while he bathed her. He was so rough with her that she would slip into unconsciousness from the back of her head or her face constantly hitting the faucet or the walls. She hoped her dad wasn't like that at all and that he was like the awesome father she once remembered, but she needed to make sure he hadn't changed one bit.

 **Thank you, ma'am. Hi, Daddy. I'm gonna shower, if you would like to take one with me? I'll do whatever you ask. I'll be a good girl, I promise.**

"¿De qué estás hablando, cariño?" A look of worry flashed over his face. "Nunca soñaría con..." He sputters. "¡Eres mi hija! Mi pequeña niña." She looked at her dad, feeling confusion and relief wash over her at the same time. She tried to chuckle, but it came out as a sob. She beamed through her happy tears. "Escuchame, mija. Si alguna vez veo a esos espeluznantes que...te tocaron tan mal y pusieron en tu cabeza ideas tan horribles y asquerosas...Te lo juro por Dios, las mataré. Lo haré, cariño. Mientras estén encerrados para siempre, no pueden lastimarte, y me aseguraré de que reciban la pena de muerte o tengan una cadena perpetua."

 **What are you talking about, sweetheart? I would never dream of...you're my daughter! My little girl. Listen to me, my daughter. If I ever see those creeps who...touched you so wrongly and put such horrible, disgusting ideas into your head...I swear to God, I will kill them. I will, honey. As long as they are locked up forever, they can't hurt you, and I will ensure that they get the death penalty or have life sentences.**

She hugged him and kissed his cheek quickly just before standing up. She started to leave the room, but then stopped to look over her shoulder at him. "Espero que estés diciendo la verdad. ¡Buenas noches! Te amo, Papá."

 **I hope you're telling the truth. Good night! I love you, Dad.**

"Yo también te amo, pequeña niña."

 **I love you too, little girl.**

While Blanca walked back to her bedroom, she passed her mother, who had tears dotting her cheeks as she hugged a folded neon pink blanket to her chest. "Lo siento, mamá, tuve que comprobar..."

 **Sorry, Mom, I had to check...**

Trina sniffled. "Si estuvieras a salvo aquí?" Blanca nodded her head yes and hiccuped sharply as she pulled her mom in for a hug. Trina engulfed her tightly and pecked her temple. "Niña, siempre estás a salvo aquí con tu mamá y tu papá, por favor, nunca lo olvides, ¿vale? Te amamos mucho, y cuando te fuiste...fue una pesadilla." Blanca just nestled into her mother's arms and hummed softly.

 **If you were safe here? Baby girl, you are always safe here with your mama and daddy, please don't ever forget that, okay? We love you so much, and when you were gone...it was a nightmare.**

After hugging her mom for a few moments, Blanca went into the bathroom while checking over her shoulder, to make sure no one was following her in there. She knew she probably didn't need to, but she locked the door behind her anyway. To her pleasant surprise, no one banged on it and demanded to be let in. Her parents were actually giving her the privacy she wanted. Grinning to herself, she turned on the faucet and tested the water's temperature. When it was warm enough for her, she took off her clothes and let them fall to the floor in a heap. She stepped into the tub and immediately began washing herself. It was so nice, calm, and relaxing as the water ran through her hair and down her body, but no matter how many times she scrubbed herself or massaged shampoo and conditioner into her raven locks, she didn't feel clean. When her skin was raw and red, she sat down and drew her knees to her chest. She laid her head atop her knees and focused on breathing in and out slowly until the water ran cold and goosebumps formed. She shut it off right away, since she was shivering.

When she was finished with her shower, she got into her pajamas and Trina helped Blanca get set up in her room. Through her window, Blanca noticed a Dominican couple around her age making out on a bed just before the girl left the room. The musclebound boy was shirtless and had some tattoos, including a black devil on his upper arm near his shoulder, and the girl was fully clothed. His hands were pulling at her short hair and she was grinning with a mouthful of grills showing. Blanca drew her shade because she didn't want to see any of their wild and gross public display of affection at all.

She still had her nightlight from when she was four, so she turned it on. "Mamá, ¿puedes dormir conmigo?" she asked. "Voy a tener malos sueños."

 **Mama, can you sleep with me? I'm going to have bad dreams.**

Trina beamed. "Definitivamente voy a hacer eso. Puedes sentarte en mi cama mientras me pongo mis jamones, ¿vale?"

 **I will definitely do that. You can sit on my bed while I get my jammies on, okay?**

"Buena!"

 **Okay!**

Blanca swung her legs from side to side while waiting for Trina. She was so tired that she fell back on her mother's bed. She curled up there until Trina was done and then they went into Blanca's room. Trina tucked Blanca into bed and then joined her. Blanca snuggled into Trina's warm embrace.

She hadn't been this comfortable in years.

* * *

It wasn't until the middle of the night when Maritza started having a flashback of what her day had been like before finally reuniting with her mom.

 _Maritza groaned and rubbed her rumbling tummy. She hadn't eaten since Haluk fed her this morning and she was so dizzy from the beating she received last night for talking to that nice Latina woman. The fact that she was about to faint from hunger pains didn't make it any better. She closed her eyes as she ironed suits for her masters. Her feet ached from standing for so long and her knees wobbled. She stopped what she was doing and sat down on the floor. She couldn't sneak food because there was always someone watching. She was frozen with fear when she saw Humps staring at her. He sniggered._

 _"Why aren't you moving? Get up, you stupid cunt!" he roared._

 _Maritza slowly pushed herself up as her whole body shook in terror. She knew what he would do to her, but it didn't stop her from fearing death at his or his friends' hands. She didn't make a peep as his tall stature loomed over her._

 _"I love making you scream. It makes me hard to know that you're so powerless against me." His hand came toward her face and she flinched._

 _"Please, don't," she mumbled inaudibly._

 _He did it anyway and the sting was so bad that Maritza shrieked loudly and collapsed to the floor. He sniggered in triumph._

 _"I'm good, huh?"_

 _She nodded, holding back tears that were threatening to spill. She stood up unsteadily and held the doorknob for balance._

 _"If you're too weak to do my chores, get on my bed, girlie, and then Vee will dress you up to be sold into prostitution."_

 _"I need to eat," she moaned._

 _Humps picked her up and carried her over his head. The way he walked made her feel squeamish as if she wasn't sick enough already. He threw her on his bed and she banged her head against the headboard. Herrmann came in, rubbing his hands together with delight._

 _She sighed and laid on his bed the way Vee taught her to for a man, with her legs spread out and arms by her sides._

 _They took turns going straight into her, and it hurt, because they were so big. They kept mumbling for her to cum for them, but she couldn't. They grabbed her hips, making her have bruises, and lifted her up and down over and over again._

 _"I don't feel so good," she groaned, holding her stomach. She hiccuped once, and the vomit spewed out, all over his bed._

 _"You ruined my bed! You nasty girl, you ruined my bed!" Humps shouted, pushing her to the floor. "Clean it up right now, your punishment is going to be doubled!" She couldn't stop crying silently as she dragged all the bedsheets that she'd puked on and threw them in the wash. That's when she fainted._

"¡Mami ayúdame... mami!" Maritza sobbed loudly. "¡Quiero a mi mami!"

 **Mommy, help...Mommy! I want my mommy!**

"Oh, mamá está aquí, bebé uno. Estoy aquí," Juliana soothed her and kissed the top of her head while rocking her as if she were a small child. "No te preocupes, ya no pueden tocarte." Maritza clutched her mom's arms that were around her waist. "Estas conmigo. Estas bien." Juliana wiped Maritza's tears away with the pads of her thumbs and got a tissue so Maritza could blow her nose.

 **Oh, Mommy's here, baby one. I'm right here. Don't worry, they can't touch you, you're with me. You're okay.**

Once Maritza was able to get back to sleep via Juliana singing lullabies from when she was little, she tried to think of happy things, like flying through pink clouds or sliding down the rainbow.

* * *

The next morning, the doorbell rang and Daya rushed to get it, since it could be one of her recently found friends. She glanced through the peephole and gasped in excitement when she saw Lorna standing there between Stansie and Franny. The sight of Lorna also broke Daya's heart, since the carefree girl, who always wore makeup and a huge grin on her face, looked very downtrodden. She appeared as if she'd just woken up and rolled out of bed, what with her baggy sweats, disheveled hair, and no trace of eyeliner, mascara, or lipstick. She had handprint marks around her neck and her wrists. Daya quickly opened the door and Lorna hurriedly threw her arms around Daya. Both girls suddenly started sobbing in relief.

"Oh my god, you're back, finally!" Daya was able to get out.

"Yeah...yeah...I've missed you, hon!" Lorna wiped her cheek and then Daya's.

"Me too, me too. I'm so glad you're alive..." Daya blubbered while stroking Lorna's hair.

"I'm like a broken doll!"

"Mm-hm," Daya agreed and then squeezed Lorna's hands comfortingly. "You'll be fine, though, it's gonna be alright, the crew will always protect you a lot more from now on, okay?"

Lorna nodded and sniffled. "Sounds good."

* * *

After eating Cocoa Puffs for breakfast, Blanca threw up again and bled from her vagina. She thought she may have her period since she had awful cramps, but when she went to Trina's lady doctor, they reported that she was pregnant, but had a miscarriage. They went to Blanca's pediatrician, who was thankfully a woman, and her female nurse gave her a shot to start her checkup and Blanca had a tight grip on Trina's hand during it. She screamed because it felt like a sharp pinch. The doctor listened to her heart with a stethoscope and asked Blanca to open her mouth wide and stick her tongue out after shining a small flashlight in her eyes and ears and taking her blood pressure. When the tongue depressor was there for too long, she began to choke and then she puked. After the nurse cleaned her mess, her pediatrician analyzed her vomit to make sure there was nothing dangerous in it. They discovered that her body was rejecting normal foods because all this time, she'd been eating meat and flesh from other humans. Both Blanca and Trina were beyond disgusted. Blanca started crying and Trina asked the doctor, "¿Cómo puede ella bajar las comidas normales ahora? ¡Ella no es una caníbal, a pesar de que sus captores la obligaban a ser una sin su conocimiento!"

 **How can she keep down regular foods now? She's not a cannibal, even though her captors were forcing her to be one without her knowledge!**

"Tiene que mantenerse hidratada con agua, limonada y té de menta, y comenzar a comer alimentos fáciles de digerir, como galletas saladas, gelatina, arroz, plátanos, pollo y tostadas, pero nada más. La voy a poner en una dieta estricta que podemos probar durante una semana. También debe tener mucho descanso y no hacer nada que pueda desencadenar un ataque de pánico, porque eso le quita la energía a la persona."

 **She has to stay hydrated with water, lemonade, and mint tea, and start off by eating foods that are easy to digest, like saltine crackers, Jell-O, rice, bananas, chicken, and toast, but nothing else. I'm going to put her on a strict diet that we can try for a week. She should also have lots of rest and not do anything that might trigger a panic attack, because that takes away a person's energy.**

"Okay," Trina agreed and put her hand on her daughter's back. "Vamos a mejorar todo, cariño, paso a paso." She tucked some dark hair behind Blanca's ear.

 **"We're gonna get you all better, sweetheart, one step at a time.**

The meals were a banana and a piece of toast with lemonade for breakfast, rice, chicken, and water for lunch and dinner, crackers and mint tea for a snack, and Jell-O for dessert. Blanca could live with that. At least she wouldn't be eating actual people.

* * *

"Sorry you had to sleep on the floor," Jamaris apologized as she and Taystee ate chocolate chip banana pancakes on the couch while watching _106 & Park_. "It's just, Robin has so many kids living here now...I miss when it was just you and I and that doofus Dante."

"Well, if Mia, my birth mom, had kept me when she had the chance, I'd be outta y'all's hair. I bet she don't even have a clue I went missing. You think Ms. Tendler gonna throw me out?" Taystee asked.

"I don't think Karen's gonna let that happen," Jamaris assured Taystee, referring to Taystee's social worker. "She was real happy to see you, remember? So was I...and even Dante."

"Yeah, but our foster mom might be just like Doreen," Taystee worried.

"I know Robin, she'll make space for you."

"What happened with Niecey, do you know?"

"Doreen kicked her out."

"Such a bitch," Taystee grumbled.

"Yeah...Robin hates that woman with a passion."

Ms. Tendler walked into the room just then. "Tasha, we can go mattress shopping today, alright?"

Taystee grinned at this, since she really wanted a comfortable night's sleep. "Okay, thanks, Ms. Tendler."

"You're welcome."

* * *

"Nice seeing you two again," Nicky grumbled as she rubbed her eyes open so she could see her parents clearly. "Everyone else went home. What, you were too lazy to come pick me up last night?"

"Nicole, I was working late and I fell into bed, exhausted," Marka explained. "Besides, your father was supposed to get you, but he was busy fucking his new girlfriend."

"That's a lie!" Les snapped. "We arranged that you would bring her home since she might trust you more."

"No, you _knew_ I was tired! You _knew_ I was about to go on a trip with Paolo."

The yelling wouldn't stop. Nicky hid under the blanket and covered her ears. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she screamed, but they didn't seem to hear her. She dissolved into tears. _At least they wouldn't hurt her physically_ , was all she thought. They were toxic as hell, but she knew she was safe since she'd be more aware of her surroundings from now on.

* * *

"Did you get ahold of Papa?" Maria asked her mother as she walked into Erica Jones' yoga class, linking arms with Sirena. "I know you hate him, but he's my father...he's gotta know I survived my ordeal."

"He's the reason you were kidnapped, cariño," Emily reminded her. "That _cabròn_ couldn't be bothered with picking you up. He chose drugs and being embarrassing over making sure you were okay."

"Surely he must have seen the news and found out that way..."

Emily scoffed and put down her mat, along with Maria and Sirena. "He's all the way in the Dominican Republic. He hasn't been to a support group meeting in weeks!"

Maria's heart sank in disappointment at her mother's words. There _had_ to be a guy out in the world who cared about her, but there, unfortunately, wasn't. The cops and doctors were just doing their jobs. Almost all of her captors were male. "To be fair, though, I wanted to stay over at Sirena's, and not just because Papa was gettin' high." She turned to Sirena. "Why do men suck? They're either pedophiles or don't give a shit about you!"

Sirena shrugged and shook her head. "I dunno. The boys in school ain't so bad, though."

Maria let out a dry laugh. "Boys? Oh, _por favor_ , we had a boy serving us meals in our cottage of torture, meaning that he knew our situtation and kept his stupid mouth shut. My bad, Rena, I should've said the whole god damn male population is a pile of shit. I wanna get some sweet revenge one day."

"You can say that again!" a girl agreed behind them before Sirena could respond. Maria twisted herself around in interest and was shocked to see another one of her fellow captives outside of the frightening place where they'd lived or the hospital. She barely knew her, even though they suffered under the same terrible conditions. They had completely different leaders.

"Alana, right?"

"Yeah."

"You...you're doing yoga, too?"

Alana nodded her head yes. "My auntie Stacy suggested it and I didn't think it was a bad idea. I...I hope it's not weird seeing each other, you know, especially after..." She trailed off.

"Mm-hm. I don't think it is...Lorna and Alex are doing it with their moms, too...and apparently, Lorna's sister is here, too."

"Yoga's a relaxing activity...it'd be great for all of us."

"Yep," Maria mumbled. "So, this is my friend, Sirena." She put her arm around the girl and gestured to Alana. "Sirena, Alana and..." She glanced at the Hawaiian girl next to Alana curiously.

"My bestie, Stephanie," Alana introduced the girl. "Steph, Maria. It's nice to meet you, Sirena."

"Likewise!" Maria and Alana shook hands with each other's friends.

"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Stephanie told Maria.

"You too, Stephanie. Aw, you're both hella polite, you and Alana!" Maria complimented them with a smile.

"We got no reason not to be," Alana murmured.

As class went on, Maria had some lively conversations with the girls, including Alex and Lorna. She was more shy around Diane Vause, Lila Washington, Stacey Dwight, and Stansie and Franny Morello, mostly because they were a lot older than her and had a lot more power than her. She really hoped the women were genuinely nice, but she had a good feeling they were. They had to be a hundred times better than Vee. If she couldn't count on the opposite sex, Maria felt like she should give girls and women the benefit of the doubt, since only one had failed her.

She didn't trust guys at all. None of the survivors did either, really, and she didn't blame them one bit.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, Johanna_002, Guest, VeraRose19, and A Star in My Universe!**


	8. Everything's Changing Now

**Thank you Amy for giving me the idea of Sophia being a doctor and also my inspiration for Red's family dynamic :) Also, I know Diablo's last name now thanks to season 7 so it's just Zuniga (not Garcia).**

 **Warning: mutilation in flashbacks, mentions of abuse**

Nicky angrily shoved her books, binders, highlighters, pens, and pencils into her backpack. "I don't even fuckin' _wanna_ go to school! I told you, Taystee taught us all math, history, spelling, and science. She was a great teacher! I learned Spanish from a lot of the girls when I was held hostage, and I had French lessons and piano lessons from long ago. I still remember shit. I don't need any more education."

Marka scoffed. "Nicole, don't be ungrateful! I bought all your materials you're going to need and I'm about to spend my hard-earned money on the cab that will be picking you up soon. Those girls you lived with are not credible sources. They're just children who know next to nothing." The older blonde woman shook her head. "With a name like _Taystee_. My goodness. What, was she a stripper?"

"Nunya business," Nicky snapped. "She was a good enough teacher for me. We even called her Ms. Jefferson to make it fun, I guess. She was highly intelligent."

"Yeah, I don't want to hear it. You're going to school and learning from actual adults who have gotten their master's degree, and that's final! Those sluts your father slept with, I don't count them. You know he only paid for your piano and French lessons with sex. Get going, or you'll miss your ride. I'm going to be watching to make sure you get in and not play hooky."

"Of course you fired Paloma and chose not to drive me to school," Nicky grumbled and slid her backpack over her shoulders. She stomped out the front door with Marka following her.

"Once again, your father left earlier than me for his job and stuck me in charge. I have work soon, though, so hope that taxi driver isn't late. I can't wait forever."

Nicky rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't have gotten rid of Paloma, then that would've taken a load off your shoulders."

"We didn't need her while you were gone. You're twelve years old now, you don't need constant supervision anymore. For Christ's sake, your Bat Mitzvah's coming up soon. We need to start trying on dresses for that, and I have to call Elaine Lerner to coordinate it." Both mother and daughter stood at the curb, a few inches away from each other, but miles apart emotionally. They didn't even look at each other. "You're becoming a woman."

Nicky shuddered at that, as that last thing Marka had said, was what her captors had been telling her since she was six. "You remembered my age. How thoughtful," she muttered. "Um, obviously, you're stressed out with me here, so why don't you just go? I can take care of myself. You're right."

"You just want to skip school, and I won't allow it. Do _not_ waste my money!" Marka yelled, and Nicky shrank away from her looming figure.

The cab pulled up to the curb and Nicky got in. She slumped down into her seat in the way back while Marka shoved cash into the driver's hands. As the taxi left, Nicky's left hand mirrored her right, middle fingers pointing skywards with a glare out the window at Marka, who was turning around to walk back to their house. The whole time, though, Nicky's heart was hammering hard against her chest. Her hands felt sweaty and she had to catch her breath a few times. This person taking her to school could be bad, just like the pedophile ring that had kidnapped her and the other girls. They may not even be bringing her to school, but instead, someplace dangerous. She was too scared to even make sure they were going to the right place. If this guy actually did bring her to Equality Charter School, she hoped and prayed someone she knew would be there, especially Alex and Blanca. It would be so awkward going to school and not knowing a single soul. She didn't want to be bullied and shunned, which was apparently a thing in middle school, according to Alana. In a way, she was thankful Marka had her straighten her hair and put on minimal makeup so she wouldn't look like she'd just rolled out of bed. Just heavy eyeliner, mascara, and light pink gloss was fine for her. Then she wouldn't get teased.

* * *

Maritza didn't know where Ronnie Banks was, but she was afraid he would hunt her down and take her to the correct address. She was probably supposed to be shipped off to Bulgaria by now. She'd heard the mean men talk about it while playing poker and smoking.

Then, she recalled the police cars that were parked a little ways away from the cottage and when Kubra was kissing her as a last goodbye, he was arrested immediately. When she was finally in front of her mom's huge house, she'd scrambled out of the cop car and ran through the front gates and to her new home. She used to live in Miami, but her mother had apparently moved to New York because of a new job placement. She was surprised that the officers didn't stop her and try to take her away again. One of the lady cops even walked up there with her and waited until Ray opened the door and asked her who she was.

"How did I get back, Mama?" she asked in a tiny voice and hugged her knees to her chest.

"I have no idea, sweetie."

"Is Mr. Banks going to come and get me? Kubra didn't pay him because he wasn't here and also, the policemen took him away."

"I don't know a Mr. Banks. Who is Kubra?" Juliana wanted to know.

"One of the bad guys. He gave me to a man named Mr. Banks, who lives here."

"I don't think Mr. Banks exists. It was a setup. Aleida and Galina figured out where you were and tricked Kubra into returning you to your mommy," Ray explained.

Maritza looked away from him and sucked her thumb. It was bad enough that she had to tell Ray that she thought she was here for Mr. Banks. "They did?" Juliana asked with a tearful inflection to her voice. "I don't know how I can ever repay them."

As much as Maritza loved being back with her mother, she couldn't help but miss the other girls. She wondered how they were doing or if they even made it to the hospital. Her best friend, Flaca, almost always took care of her, and when she couldn't, Blanca would step in, risking getting in trouble with her masters. Maritza walked to the window facing the street and looked out at the world that she hadn't seen much of in five years. It was like a painting, the early morning sun slowly rising through the blue and pink sky and then a rose garden in the front yard. Cars sped up and down the street and from the distance, she could spot a taxi. She'd been seeing a lot of those lately.

 _Maritza laid down in Blanca's lap as the slightly older girl stroked her hair. "I'm sure Flaca will be here soon. She's just cooking for the evil bastards, okay? She asked me to watch over you for her."_

 _"I'm afraid they could hurt her up there. They're constantly violent to all of us, but she could be sold to one of their clients upstairs or killed, and we'd never know." A tear trickled down Maritza's cheek and Blanca wiped it away. "I'm so scared, Blanca...I don't wanna lose her forever."_

 _"Me too,_ bebe _. You know what, though? They've demanded that I cook for them before, and nothing bad happened to me, or at least, it wasn't worse than usual. I just kept my head down and did my work and responded to them appropriately. Flaca's learned to do the same."_

 _"I've never been commanded into the kitchen." Maritza gulped. "Why is that?"_

 _Blanca squeezed Maritza's hand comfortingly and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "They do it in alphabetical order until we've all reached the double digits. First, it was Alex when she was five, for two years. Then me until I was nine, and now, Flaca."_

 _"So when I'm ten, I could be forced to cook for those nasty creatures?"_

 _"Not_ could _._ _You_ will _be. They'll alternate."_

 _"Do you think maybe they'll ever invite a guest who's actually sympathetic to our_ _situation? Like, a relative of someone, and they bring a girl our age?" Maritza wondered aloud brightly._

 _"They'd never make that mistake. Not in a million years," Blanca mumbled bitterly. "Even if they had, they'd kidnap her, too. A man or boy who tried to help us would just get killed. It's useless to hope."_

 _"They should at least let a dove fly in here. Those were my favorite birds when I was seven. It's like a symbol of good luck."_

 _"Mari...all they brought in one time was a pigeon, and it shit on me when I tried to feed it. They cackled at me and told me to take a shower with Ratman. Face it, nothing good will happen to us. We have been stuck here for years, me, six and you, two. How have you not lost your spark? Your mom even thinks you're dead."_

 _"They'll sell us one day. When we're thirteen, they said. There could be an easier way to get out at someone else's house or at least call our mommies, or nine-one-one if we don't remember their numbers."_

 _"They'll separate us," Blanca informed Maritza."You'll never see me or Flaca or the rest of them again."_

 _"At least we're all together now..." Maritza started hyperventilating as the reality of their dire situation slowly sunk in. "I can't be alone!"_

 _"I know...me neither." Blanca helped her sit up and then they hugged each other tightly while Maritza sobbed and Blanca rocked her back and forth while humming to her soothingly._

* * *

"Call me crazy, but I saw this Latina girl through the window in Ms. Ramos' house."

"Yeah fuckin' right. Are you high from huffing paint again, Creech?" Piper asked Raquel Munoz, who preferred to be called Creech.

"No!" Creech smirked. "Yeah, but don't tell my grandma, okay?"

"I won't." Piper rolled her eyes as Creech sauntered away. "I don't even know your grandma…"

"Hi, Piper!" Nicole Eckelcamp greeted her and then they hugged. The best thing about being popular was that making friends was easy and even though Piper wasn't close to a lot of people in school, Nicole included, everyone bowed down to her. She was the queen of Equality Charter School. The worst part of it, though, was having to be nice to the loser kiss-ups. Nicole was one of them. She followed Madison Murphy around and worshipped the other blonde's ground she walked on, even though Madison treated Nicole like shit. She was an idiot too, even nicknaming herself Badison because she thought she was a real live gangster. Piper and her friends had a good chuckle about that. "Where's Charlene?" Piper asked Nicole conversationally.

"She and Marie slept over at Shruti's and they're taking a swim before class begins," Nicole answered.

"Cool."

"I'll go join' em and see if Badison and Creech wanna come along! Later, girl!"

"Bye." Piper waved Nicole away.

"You will never believe what Shruti Chambal and Marie Brock were telling me this morning!" Polly exclaimed as she and Piper embraced. More of Piper's friends joined them just then. "They heard from Creech that the Latina girl who supposedly died…showed up in Ms. Ramos' house, like at her window."

"I bet they all trippin'," Cindy muttered. "Ain't nobody rises from the dead for real."

"Plus, Creech ain't a reliable source." Janae pointed out. "Just another dumbass out to start a rumor."

"Maybe she saw a ghost," Pennsatucky murmured. "Freaky, but realistic."

"Ms. Ramos may have done a séance," Brook mused.

"True, or Annalisa broke into her house," Dominga Duarte told them in passing, and they all exploded into guffaws. "Yo, but don't tell her I said that."

"Yo, we talkin' about a brown ghost, not a white one, dumbass!" Poussey yelled after Dominga. "Anyway…what was she doing at the window? If she was really a spirit, she'd be transparent."

"Staring out the glass kinda thoughtfully," Zirconia answered. "She looked hella alive. I saw Ms. Ramos' daughter before Creech did and told her and the others."

Piper groaned loudly. "I wanted to be the first to spread the gossip! I'll just start telling people now and then I won't seem so out of the loop."

* * *

"Hey, girls," Daya greeted them quickly before the lump in her throat took over.

"What's wrong?" Allison wanted to know. "You look like you're going to start crying at any given moment."

"I need to tell you guys something, like, now. You know Lorna, my best friend from when we were seven, and Alex, who I was close to when we were toddlers?" Daya sniffled, reaching behind her back to give Lorna's hand a squeeze. Her shorter friend was hiding behind her, probably both overwhelmed and wanting to surprise their group with her presence. Alex, however, had chosen not to go to school quite yet. "Creech ain't goin' insane. That girl she saw must have been Maritza! We saved her and the other eleven missing girls, _including_ Lorna!"

The girls stared at Daya, stunned. "What?" they wondered aloud in unison.

"Maritza's dead and never coming back," Piper said plainly. "You have got to be dreaming."

"My mom said Maritza and the rest of them are alive. They were kidnapped until yesterday." She moved slightly to reveal Lorna. "Ta-daaa!" They gasped altogether and started giving her long hugs.

"Hey, oh my god!" Allison squeezed Lorna in her arms and lifted her up slightly just before putting her right back down. "Lorna, we missed you!"

"I missed you too!" Lorna sniffled.

"Why are you sad about this?" Zirconia wanted to know. "I thought this would be a great thing! Besides, I can't stand crying."

Daya sniffled. "Sorry. It is, but Alex will probably never let me in. After that sort of thing happens to you, you're an empty shell of yourself and you don't trust anyone. My mom warned me that Alex would need time to get to know me again since I look different than I used to."

"Hold up, if the other girls got rescued like you say, Maria and Michelle are back, too!" Zirconia realized aloud. "I wonder if they're here…"

"I doubt it…they may need some time to readjust to life on the outside," Daya said.

"You say that as if they were in prison," Polly commented.

"They were, pretty much…except they didn't do anything wrong. Like um, the Holocaust," Daya mumbled sadly.

"Maybe you could show Alex some pictures of the two of you together or talk about a game you used to play with her. I'm sure she still has her old dolls, so you could remind her of a favorite one you both enjoyed playing with when you went to her house," Poussey suggested.

"I love those ideas! I want you all to meet her, but I also would prefer if she's not overwhelmed. I hope Diane brings her over to my house when it's just me and Aleida who are home."

Poussey's face lit up like a Christmas tree all of a sudden. "Yo, D, Z...if your homegirls got rescued, that means Taystee's alive, too...you know where she might be, Lorna?"

"No, I'm sorry...maybe in foster care," Lorna replied.

"You call your mama by her first name?" Cindy asked Daya incredulously. "If I did that, I'd be livin' on the streets!"

Allison chuckled. "Girl, you so dramatic!"

"Yeah, seriously. Like yo mama would ever kick your ass out," Janae muttered.

Daya shrugged. "Aleida lets me sometimes, she's cool with it."

"Awesome!" Lorna exclaimed.

* * *

All of the tables in Nicky's English class were full, except for one, so she sat alone, hugging her backpack to her chest. The teacher wasn't even in the room yet, as the warning bell hadn't rung. Nicky's heart leapt when she suddenly saw Lorna and Alana. She waved in their general direction, but they didn't seem to see her, as they were engaged in lively conversation with a bunch of other girls, including Diaz, the one that Nicky and her fellow captives under Piscatella were forced to kidnap. Nicky wondered how Alana and Lorna could jump back into normal society so easily, but she figured it was because they hadn't been kept in the shadowy nightmare for as long as she had. She sighed and sadness crept over her. She had never felt so alone since before she'd been kidnapped. At least she had five other girls to keep her company during those horrible six years. They were suffering, but they'd bonded over it. _Maybe the rest will be in my other classes_ , she thought to herself. _It was still early in the day_.

"Hey, you can sit at our table if you would like," a girl offered kindly, making Nicky glance up at her. She had a pretty Egyptian accent and looked extremely familiar.

"Yeah, sure, thanks," Nicky mumbled, feeling a little bit shy. She also thought the girl was extremely attractive, and a shot of guilt dashed through her, since she had a girlfriend and she would never betray Alex. _Maybe it was okay to have two chicks, though, since Stratman did it with Flaca and Maritza._

"I've never seen you before. Are you new?" The brunette sat down and turned to face Nicky, her elbow propped up on the table and her chin set on her fist. Her eyes were alluring, just like Alex's and her little smirk was adorable, the way it showed off the dimples in her cheeks. She wore her hair down in gorgeous curls and had on a lovely silk blue shirt and tight black jeans. An army green scarf was wrapped around her neck. She'd put on on the sharpest black eyeliner and shiny pink gloss coated her lips. She was beautiful without even trying. Vee would've loved her, since she wouldn't have had to do too much work with this girl, but Nicky is still relieved that she never had to endure torture at the hands of the assholes. Nicky quickly averted her gaze, thanking the heavens above that she hadn't been caught checking the other girl out. That would've been humiliating.

"Mm-hm, but strangely, nobody is paying me any attention. Probably because they've seen my face and don't wanna make me feel weird by staring. I'm good with that, actually. My name's Nicky. My cunt mother named me Nicole Nichols, believe it or not, and my dickhead father agreed with her."

"Nicky is a cute nickname."

"Thanks." Nicky blushed. "It's what I prefer."

"That's what I'll call you, then." She quirked up a perfect eyebrow. " _Nicole Nichols_ , really?"

"My 'rents are lazy and negligent," Nicky explained.

"That really sucks! I'm sorry."

"Yeah…"

"I'm Shani. It's a pleasure to meet you, Nicky." Shani extended her hand and Nicky shook it. They shared a smile and stared into each other's eyes for a moment.

"You, too, Shani." Nicky gasped suddenly when she realized who the girl reminded her of, and then she teared up.

 _"I want you to watch this," Piscatella snarled at Nicky and flipped on the television. He'd locked her in a room all by herself because she'd been tenderly kissing Alex when he decided to storm in on them unexpectedly. "This is what happens in Egypt to little girls when they reach womanhood at about eleven or twelve years of age. It's part of their culture, but I'm so tempted to do it to you. It's not like you need a dick ramming in there anyway, am I right? This'll teach you to not let other people except your other masters and their clients to touch your clitoris!" He plopped down next to her while pressing play and forced her to sit in his lap. She didn't even need handcuffs, as he had a vice grip around her belly. "If you close your eyes even one time, I'll burn you and cut off big chunks of your skin for Humps to eat."_

 _Nicky gulped and nodded through her blurred vision. "Yes, sir. I understand."_

 _The scene started out innocently enough. A dark haired girl walked into a party with her mother, looking slightly puzzled. The spoken language was Arabic, but there were English subtitles._

 _"min hum hwla' alftyat ya amy?"_

 ** _Who are these girls, Mom?_**

 _"hadha hu limuslahatuk."_

 ** _This is for your own good._**

 _Someone started screaming and crying and Nicky jumped, but she kept watching and obeying Piscatella's orders. Another woman sat the girl down and stripped her._ _"'iifath saqik."_

 _ **Open your legs.** _

_She held up a knife and Nicky's eyes widened in horror. She could only imagine Piscatella smirking evilly. The preteen started shrieking, begging the woman to stop cutting into her most sensitive area. Blood poured out from between her legs as the poor little girl sobbed out in agony, along with Nicky. "_ _limadha tafeal hadha? min fidlik, la 'urid almazida! raja'an!_ " _She twisted and squirmed, but the lady held her tight against her chest._

 ** _Why are you doing this? Please, no more! Please!_**

 _"'iina altakhalus min hdha alkhata sayakun 'afdal shay' hadath lak ealaa al'iitlaq. nakun shakirin 'ana 'afeal hdha mn 'ajlik."_

 ** _Ridding yourself of this bug will be the best thing that ever happened to you. Be thankful I am doing this for you._**

 _Nicky couldn't stop shaking, but Piscatella let out a long roar of laughter._

"Jesus Christ," Nicky whispered, beginning to choke up. "Of course I-I'll sit with you," she told Shani in a wavery voice and sniffled.

"What's wrong?"

Nicky couldn't tell her. She knew that Shani had suffered through female genital mutilation, and that was of course, very personal. "Nothing. I'm just glad I won't be lonely."

"Hey, everyone needs friends." Shani got to her feet and beckoned Nicky forward. "Come on."

Nicky wiped her eyes with her sleeve and followed Shani to her table. She sniffled a few times, grabbed some Kleenex, and blew her nose before taking a spot beside Shani. Her horrific captors would beat her for being this sensitive, but luckily, they were in prison.

Nicky was quickly introduced to Shani's group. Karla was on the other side of Shani, and then there were Swapna and Delma. Another girl and two boys joined them. The girl and the guy she was holding hands with seemed to only speak K'iche', and they had a translator accompanying them. He introduced himself as Byron and the girl and her boyfriend as Santos and Gabor. They were all nice kids and Nicky was happy to be sitting with them.

* * *

Class time was spent reading _Romeo and Juliet_ out loud and then as the girls were walking down the halls, Daya saw Tali Grapes, one of her crew's newest friends. She looked like Alex, but without the glasses. They had a mutual online friend, Adeola, and the Jamacian girl suggested they be pals. "We got some news!" Daya announced.

"Oh girl, so do I! What do you all know that I don't?"

"Last night, Lorna, Alex, and the other kidnapped girls came home. We helped my mom and Red rescue them! My best friends are finally back."

"Alex…you mean the girl who disappeared nine years ago?"

"Yeah, but it's like she's on the other side of a glass wall. We can see her if you're near my house since she lives next door to me, but we can't really formally meet her until she's comfortable doing so. She's traumatized."

"I understand. Whoa, that's amazing, Daya."

"I know! So, what's up with you?"

"Adeola's visiting from Imam with her pops. He's gonna work on some roads here and we can finally meet her in person! She'll go to our school until ninth grade, or if they like it here, he'll get his green card to move to America, I guess!"

Daya's heart lifted in happiness, once again. "That's great!"

* * *

The cafeteria ladies were serving the students in the lunch line when Daya suddenly pushed a blonde girl forward. Gloria and Aleida had pointed her out to Red as one of the kidnap victims from the hospital whose parents didn't show up for hours. It was strange but comforting, seeing the girl in person, safe, and Red was relieved that she had eventually gotten picked up by someone, but seeing her get hurt in even the smallest way, made Red's heart ache and a protective rage flooded through her entire being. She could tell Gloria felt the same way and Aleida had actually reached her hand over the counter and swatted Daya upside the head with the back of her hand, making everyone look in their direction. "Ay, what you doin', stupid? She ain't done nothin' to you!"

"Owww, _Maaaa_!" Daya groaned, rubbing the spot Aleida had hit.

Gloria shook her head disapprovingly at Daya. "Girl, we raised you better than that."

"You okay?" Red asked, and Nicky gave her a short nod. She had only stumbled slightly and turned around to glare at Daya while holding up her middle finger.

"Yeah, what-oh, shit."

"Mm-hm." Daya nodded while narrowing her eyes at Nicky. "You and your little gang of bitches tried to kick my ass the other day, right? You weren't even good at it either."

"About that, I can explain, okay?"

"Get out of line and talk this out, girls," Red instructed them. "People are gonna complain about the wait." She exchanged confused looks with Gloria and Aleida. "In fact, why don't you come into the backroom with me," Red gestured for Claudette and Norma to fill in.

As soon as Allison and Poussey went up to the girls and stared down Nicky, so did Shani and Karla, but they were glaring at Daya. All six girls had their arms crossed over their chests as they followed Red into the backroom. Nicky stayed close to Karla and Shani and kept glancing over her shoulder, probably at Daya and the two black girls.

"We were actually kidnapped, and our captors would force us to take other girls hostage. They wanted you. Alex was with us," Nicky hissed.

Red's heart shattered upon hearing that. "It's true," she said softly, and Nicky stared at her in astonishment.

"Those officers didn't mention her name." Daya muttered.

"Yeah, they called her _Simone_. They would give us names from the story _Madeline_ as a sign of disrespect. My actual name is Nicky, but I was _Yvette_. Does the name _Lorna_ seem familiar to you?"

"Yeah, she's my close friend, but she wasn't there. How do you know her?"

"She was trapped in a cage where we were held, but she didn't come with us to imprison you. She talked about you three a lot and mentioned a new friend, Poussey." Nicky gestured to Daya, Poussey, and Allison. "She'd just met Poussey when she was kidnapped. You can ask Lorna and Alana if you don't believe me. I saw y'all earlier in English class, but didn't wanna butt in since you seemed like you were having so much fun."

Shani rubbed slow circles on Nicky's back. She and Karla looked as absolutely crestfallen as Red felt, and sympathy flooded the other girls' features as well.

"Damn. I'm really sorry about that…and um, pushing you." Daya appeared to be ashamed of herself as she twiddled her thumbs and chewed on her bottom lip. "Nah, I believe you, Nicky. Whaddya say we turn this misunderstanding into a friendship?"

"Okay." Nicky turned to face Red. "How do you know about what happened? Like one of the super-secret details of it?" She stepped away from Red with a terrified expression on her cherubic face and clutched her chest, breathing heavily as if she was having a heart attack. "Jesus fuck, were you in on it?!"

"Oh, heavens, no, Nicky! Lorna told me this morning before school started, that two girls, Blanca and Taystee, grabbed her and stuffed her into some cruel beast's vehicle, and they were your fellow hostages. I helped save you girls. I talked to that despicable pig fucker, pretending to be a pedophile and quote, end quote, _bought_ two of you. He completely fell for it."

Nicky chuckled as the other girls grinned. "Huh. Wow, lady, you're our hero." The blonde girl frowned. "Hold on. What was in it for you? My lousy birth-givers pay you a heavy sum of cash to find me, and the rest of the girls just poured out?"

"Nothing like that, honey. Aleida, my co-worker and Daya's mother, she found a girl, Maritza, in that house. That led her to call me, since I was on the verge of dating that monster. She wanted to warn me of what he could've been doing. I researched him and that's how I found out about you girls being trapped in that awful cottage. To make a long story short, I tricked him and led police to his place," Red informed Nicky. Daya, Allison, and Poussey nodded in confirmation.

"Whoa, that's amazing!" Shani exclaimed.

"Yeah, Red's pretty smart," Poussey added.

"You girls had a couple of guardian angels, it seems like," Karla pointed out.

Nicky's face brightened and Red was ecstatic to see her so happy. "Thank you so much, Red! Tell Aleida I said thanks, too."

"Will do!"

"Hold on a minute. You're not actually named after a color, right?" Nicky asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Everyone calls her Red because of her hair, her lipstick, and her nails," Daya told her before Red could answer, and everyone beamed at that.

"My real name is Galina, or Ms. Reznikov, if you feel more comfortable calling me either of those. Just don't complain about the food, because we only make what the school board tells us to."

"Yes, ma'am." Her sweet voice turned serious and she stood up a little bit straighter. "I don't wanna upset you."

"None of that _ma'am_ business. I feel respected enough if you just use any of my names."

"Sorry." Nicky hugged herself and looked down anxiously.

"You don't need to apologize, sweetheart. It's okay."

She nodded slightly in apparent understanding. "Okay. Um...just checking to make sure you're not gonna sell me."

Concern flows through Red and her heart cracks for Nicky. "I won't. I would never! I promise you...over my mother's grave. You're perfectly safe here, alright?"

"Mm-hm."

"Now, you may go enjoy lunch with your friends, or you and whoever wants to, can stay here with me and we'll talk."

"I think I should meet more of the kids here."

"Okay, that's fine."

* * *

When school was over for the day, Daya invited the girls to the mall in the hopes they would run into Alex because she heard from her mom that Diane and Alex were shopping today. Apparently for Lorna, though, she decided not to come since she didn't want to see one of her fellow captives in fear that it would trigger flashbacks. Alana was different since Lorna didn't see her constantly like she did Alex. Daya completely understood that and hugged her goodbye before she went home with Franny.

* * *

Before Alex's appointment was an afternoon filled with trying on glasses and clothes shopping since she refused to talk to a therapist and relive the past nine years, plus, being half blind and wearing Diane's biggest outfits wouldn't work out for her all the time. Diane went into the dressing room with her and Alex silently tried on clothes that she thought were cute. People stared at them, because Alex was constantly clinging onto Diane's arm, afraid to get lost in the stores for even a second. She hid behind Diane's legs and put her thumb in her mouth when they went to the cashier and she didn't answer when the man questioned her if she was playing a little game of hide-and-seek. Diane explained that her daughter was shy. Alex liked it better if a woman was ringing her clothes up. They were waiting for a lady to be available to help them, but a man insisted they get up there because they were next in line.

* * *

Alex's teeth were stained red because of the food she was forced to eat and she also needed braces. Knowing that Alex would probably have a panic attack and bite the dentist because of all the sharp instruments going into her mouth and touching her teeth and tongue, Diane asked her daughter, "Would you like to be sedated or given laughing gas? Sedated is like being unconscious and laughing gas is a chemical that they give you to breathe in and it makes you act silly and you can just go to sleep with funny dreams. Neither one of those can cause you to feel any pain whatsoever."

"Laughing gas sounds happy...but I want you to be there, Mommy."

"I know, sweetie, I'll be right by your side."

"Alex Vause?" the hygienist called out.

"That's us!" Diane said and she stood up. She guided Alex out of the waiting room chair and they followed the woman.

"My daughter would like laughing gas, please," Diane requested. She helped Alex into the dentist's chair and the hygienist adjusted the seat. Diane pushed Alex's hair away from her face and held both her hands.

The hygienist gave Alex a color selector for her braces. "Which colors do you want, hon?"

Alex looked at Diane and pointed to the purple braces with pink elastic.

"Are you sure?" Diane wanted to know.

Alex nodded and gave Diane a tentative thumbs-up.

"They're going to give it to you now, okay, baby one? Just breathe it in and close your eyes."

Alex nodded silently.

Diane glanced at the hygienist. "Could you touch her as little as possible? She's very sensitive."

"Okay."

Alex whimpered when the hygienist put the mask over her face and Diane reassured her that she would be fine and the mask didn't hurt. Five minutes later, Alex was starting to beam and then giggle, as the hygienist and Dr. Burset worked on her teeth. Diane was giggling along with Alex, because this was the most fun she'd had in the last nine years. Seeing her little girl happy, even though it was because of laughing gas, made Diane delighted. When it was over, Diane asked for a minute alone with her baby. Alex squealed, "That was fun, Mama! I saw a lot of pretty colors and tasted mint Oreo cookies."

"That's wonderful, honey! Let's see what your new teeth look like." She picked up a mirror and handed it to Alex. "Nice, huh?"

"Oooh, cooooool! I love them! They match my shirt." She gestured to her light blue long sleeved top with a rainbow on it and her bright yellow pants.

Diane grinned and held back a lump that was crawling up her throat. "Yes, they do!"

Alex clapped her hands. "Yay!"

The dentist and hygienist returned, so Alex went quiet again and faced the wall with a serious expression on her face and her hands folded in her lap. "She likes them a lot," Diane reported. "I'll have to look at my calendar for when we can schedule our next appointment."

* * *

Alex couldn't believe how quickly the day had gone by. It was about five now and the sun had gone down. She walked to the car, holding hands with her mother, and they listened to soothing music on the way home. Alex kept running her tongue over her braces. She would always have to remember to take medication so her mouth and left forearm wouldn't hurt. At this moment, they both just felt weird. The discomfort switched between her eyes behind glasses, her teeth being constrained in braces, and her left forearm on a splint inside a sling.

"How do your new things feel on you, Allie?"

"I love my clothes and I'll have to get used to my glasses and braces."

"You will, don't worry. It's all part of being a big girl. You were so brave today." Diane gave Alex a proud smile.

"Nuh-uh, I would've been scared without you, Mommy."

"Auntie Lei-lei says Daya wants to see you again," Diane said as they get inside their house.

"No more people, I'm sick of people," she complained. "I'm tired...it's gonna be so hard to eat!"

"Okay...I'll have to grind up your dinner. We'll go upstairs together, alright?"

"Sure."

Once they got into Alex's room, Diane showed her a framed photo of two small girls wearing pink dresses, one Latina and the other, white, sitting on the grass with daisy chains around their necks. "You girls used to enjoy doing this, you and Daya. Remember your first sleepover you had with her?"

"No..."

"It was right here in this bedroom. You played house with your Barbie dolls and Polly Pockets and then made cookies with my help and decorated them with frosting and sprinkles. After that, you watched a movie, ate pizza, and raided the fridge for sweets. It was a sleepover tradition, really. When you went to the park, you played with a jump rope and went on the swing set and monkey bars...and of course, made each other flower crowns and jewelry." Diane sniffled and wiped her thumb under her eyes.

Alex looked closely at the picture and squinted. "That's us? I look older than that."

"Well, it was taken when you were three and Daya had just turned two. Auntie Lei-lei and I felt comfortable having you stay at a friend's house overnight, with an adult there, of course."

"What's that shadow behind us?"

"Huh...it must be whoever took the picture. It was sunny out. So...you really don't want to visit Daya?"

"Okay, but I want to go with you, Mama. I hate strangers."

"I know you do. Daya will be so much easier for you to be around, trust me. She has a stepfather, Leon, but he's at work."

"Can we go now?"

"Of course! They live right next door, in our guesthouse, so we can walk. I'll let Aleida know we're coming." Once Alex and Diane got to the foyer downstairs, they put their coats on and went to Daya's house. Diane knocked on the door and Alex timidly hid behind her mother.

"Hi, Ms. Vause...where's Alex?"

The raven-haired girl went around her mother and stood in front of her so she could face her childhood best friend. She recognized Daya from when she and the others were trying to take her hostage and guilt washed over her in waves. She tried hard not to stare at Daya's split lip and the bruise on her right cheek. Daya's face was more pointed now, she'd grown boobs, her dark hair was decorated with blonde stripes, and she'd lost her baby fat. She still had the same huge brown eyes and the euphoric smile. She was dressed in a fancy blue top, jeans, and pink shoes with zebra stripes. As Alex shuffled towards her shyly, Daya's innocent wide eyes started moistening with tears. "Is it...is it okay if I...I hug you...Alex?"

"Go ahead," Alex mumbled and the brunette put her arms around her ever so carefully.

"I'm not holding you too tight, am I? I don't want to scare you away."

"No," Alex whispered while resting her head on Daya's shoulder and wrapping her good arm around Daya's waist. "You're as tall as your mama now."

"Growth spurt...that's puberty for ya."

"Are you okay? From when we...?" Alex trailed off, not wanting to say much in front of their mothers.

"Yeah." Daya cleared her throat. "You both can come in the house," she told Alex and Diane in a louder voice.

Alex saw the fireplace glowing with flames as soon as she stepped inside with her arm around Daya's shoulders. "Auntie Lei-lei...turn that off, please. I don't...I'm afraid of it burning me," she said while switching her gaze between the wood floor, Daya's dark red necklace, and the back of Aleida's head.

Aleida came out of her hug with Diane and nodded. "Sure, nena." She does something to make the fire go away.

"Can I sign your cast?" Daya wondered aloud.

"You could if I was wearing one, but I'm not. It's just a splint inside my sling," Alex responded.

"Oh, okay. That sucks! How long you gotta have that?"

"Three weeks."

"I see. Do you wanna see my gang, The Rarities? It's My Little Pony. My favorite one is Rarity. I got a whole bunch of her from Kmart."

"Yeah, sure." Alex beamed and followed Daya to her bedroom. It was so colorful and made her feel calm. Daya's turquoise walls were decorated with posters of male celebrities, anime posters, and drawings of people and animals, and sheer lacy white curtains covering the windows. Next to her bed was a white dresser with a silver and pink heart shaped clock, a green butterfly painted on a light blue lamp with a white shade, a couple of Barbie dolls laying haphazardly in a dark blue bucket, and small pink star stickers on the top shelf and all over the sides of the dresser. On the bottom shelf, was a stuffed orange caterpillar and a framed picture of a pink rose atop a green stem with a black backdrop. Daya's bed had a blue bottom sheet, a pink top sheet with yellow and green peace signs, a matching pillow, a white comforter, and a red blanket at the end. Her blue backpack with purple zippers was on top of the blanket and a stuffed pink bear and another stuffed smaller brown bear wearing a dark purple shirt were on top of the pillow. In the middle, was the collection of unicorns, the Rarities, and Alex just had to smile at that. She also had a small white and blue plaid bed, probably her baby sister Christina's, with the headboard adorned in pink heart stickers and some green and blue beanbag chairs adjacent to the dresser. Alex took a seat next to Daya on her bed. A goldfish was swimming in its tank and a purple light was beside it by the door. "You have a pretty room. Do you share it with Chrissy?"

Daya beamed at her. "Thank you. Uh, yeah. She's sleeping over at your mom's house...Gloria is with her."

"I know. I bet you've loved having your own room for a night or two, huh?"

"Mm-hm."

"Did you draw these? My mom said you're quite the artist."

"I did," Daya told Alex proudly. "I'm thinking of being a comic book artist one day. Or a crime sketcher."

"Either one would be cool! You're a natural at it."

Daya's grin got bigger. "Thanks, girl." The doorbell rang and Alex jumped since all else was calm. "Hey, it's okay, Allie. My mom and Red-I mean, the woman who owns the Russian market, Galina Reznikov, have been getting visits from a lot of the other girls and their parents, thanking them for all their help. Do you wanna see who it is?"

Alex nodded tentatively, suddenly curious. "Maybe it's Nicky," she murmured. "Probably not, though. She said her parents don't give a shit about her, so they wouldn't care to come here. I wonder if I'll ever see her again."

Daya put a comforting hand on Alex's arm. "You will at school."

Alex's spirits lifted instantly. "Oh, good! My mom's not making me go yet until I'm ready. I just hope Nicky actually wanted to attend. Did she seem upset at all?" Her happiness deflated a little at the thought of her girlfriend being uncomfortable in a place with people she didn't know.

"Sorta, but I think she's adjusting. She made some friends and our two groups joined into one. She was nervous around Red at first, but my instincts tell me that she'll warm up to our head cafeteria lady and you girls' savior."

That made Alex feel better and she managed a smile again. "Hey, maybe you and Nicky can bond over collecting stuffed animals. She has a bunch of Beanie Babies she left behind. No idea if her careless parents threw 'em out already, but...I hope not."

"Me neither."

Daya led Alex into the foyer where their mothers were greeting Blanca and an older woman who had to be the girl's mom. "That's my mom's friend's cousin, Trina," Daya whispered, sounding surprised as the women greeted each other. Blanca thanked Aleida profusely in Spanish and shook hands with Diane. The girl was wearing silver boots, black pants, and a red shirt with sparkles on it.

"Hm, small world," Alex commented. She and Blanca waved at each other. "There's Blanca."

"Wanna come into my room while our moms talk?" Daya asked Blanca. "My name's Daya, by the way."

"Alright." Blanca stayed directly behind them until Daya closed her bedroom door once they were all inside.

"Hey, I'm so sorry," Blanca apologized, looking at Daya. "We were brutalized into...you know."

Daya nodded. "Yeah, I understand that. I needed some ice, is all. It wasn't either of your faults, or the others' either. Taystee got me pretty good." She pointed to her own forehead. "Nicky has a matching injury there, but I didn't see hers today since it was covered with her bangs. Are you okay? I asked her that earlier today, and she said she'd been through worse."

"I have, too, Daya. None of us are _okay_ ," Blanca mumbled sadly.

"Yeah, we're all broken," Alex chimed in. She and Blanca exchanged a sorrowful look. The three girls sank down onto Daya's bed and laid there, side-by-side.

"I know, it was a dumb question to ask...I guess I just meant, like, are you dizzy from that particular bump or anything?"

"Nah, you didn't bonk our heads together _that_ hard. You were just defending yourself, and you did great. Our master was furious, though, and we were frightened..."

"He was about to let one of the assholes chop my head off!" Daya lifted her head up to stare at Alex in horror and Blanca nodded slowly. Alex lifted her shirt to show her belly, which had squares on it, drawn in black Sharpie. "Another one was marking me, for when he'd...eat me alive. He-he was a cannibal. This will take three days of me washing myself for it to come out of my skin."

"Oh my god," Daya whispered. "I'm _so_ sorry, Alex, and you too, Blanca." She sounded like she was about to cry at any moment. "I don't even wanna imagine it..."

"Sorry, Daya, I won't talk about it anymore. I don't wanna put those pictures in your head," Alex mumbled, starting to choke up herself. "My mom said therapy might be good for us, Blanca."

"Yeah, it would be," Blanca agreed.

The doorbell chimed again, but this time, Alex didn't get startled. There was a short conversation in Spanish between Aleida and one of the newcomers and then a small knock sounded on the door.

"Who is it?" Daya asked.

"Maritza..."

Blanca was the first to get off of Daya's bed, and then Alex. They rushed to open the door and Maritza practically jumped into Blanca's arms, squeezing her tight. The shorter girl's eyes and nose were red, like she'd just been crying. Her lower lip quivered and she started weeping uncontrollably. She was dressed in a long-sleeved white blouse and black pants.

"Hey, cariño, we're okay. We're okay," Blanca murmured into Maritza's hair and rubbed her back in soothing circles. "You were right, from a long time ago. We eventually got out! We're free."

"I know...I-I'm so happy!" Maritza said shakily and wailed again.

Alex put her arms around them. "I am, too."

Maritza sniffled and pulled away from Blanca slightly. "Have you seen Flaca?"

"Not lately, but I'm sure she's around," Alex murmured.

"Yeah, we all got rescued, so I know she's safe," Blanca added.

"Maybe we gotta wait until everyone gets back to school. My mom said she and Gloria are gonna encourage all the parents to send their daughters to the same place, so they can reconnect and try to heal together instead of going to some random school where they don't know a soul," Daya said.

The girls breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god!" they chorused.

* * *

While driving back home from Daya and Aleida's guesthouse, Blanca turned to her mom. "Espera, quiero conocer al otro cerebro detrás de todo esto. Sé que Aleida vio a Maritza, pero escuché que una mujer llamada Galina Reznikov puso en práctica el plan."

 **Wait, I wanna meet the other mastermind behind this whole thing. I know that Aleida saw Maritza, but I heard that a lady named Galina Reznikov put the plan into action?**

"¿Podemos ir a verla ahora mismo si quieres? I told her you might come today." **  
**

 **We can go see her tonight if you'd like?**

Blanca nodded eagerly. "¡Sí!"

"Okay." Trina turned a corner and drove up to a quaint little house in a run-down neighborhood. As soon as they got out of the car and started walking to Galina's place, Blanca stayed right by her mother, holding her hand. There were people shouting at each other nearby and dogs were barking. Thunder roared and lightning flickered across the sky, bright blue sparks of electricity against the black night. The clouds were dark, threatening rain. By the light of the streetlamp, Blanca could see broken glass scattered all over the sidewalk, so they avoided it as best they could. It was downright scary outside, and Blanca was relieved that she was with her mom. She was shivering as she clutched Trina's hand. "Ahora, debo advertirte que ella tiene tres hijos y que tienen uno de sus amigos, pero no puedes encontrar mejores adolescentes que ellos. No son peligrosos y Dmitri ya no vive con Galina y sus hijos. Se separaron. A Galina le gusta llamarse Roja ahora, por cierto."

 **Now, I must warn you that she has three sons and they have one of their friends over, but you couldn't find better teenage boys than them. They're not dangerous and Dmitri doesn't live with Galina and their boys anymore. They separated. Galina likes to call herself Re** **d now, by the way.**

Trina rang the doorbell and a few seconds later, a guy called out, "Who is it?"

"Blanca and Trina Flores," the dark-haired lady replied.

Blanca snuck a quick peek. The door opened to reveal a tall, muscular, caramel-skinned boy with curly black hair that was almost to his chin. He had a mustache and a beard and three tattoos. A dragon was on the right side of his neck, a devil was on his upper left arm, and three sixes in a row were on his right hand. He was wearing a sleeveless black shirt with a red skull on it and dark blue jeans. He looked terrifying, but his eyes were soft and his mouth was turned down, like he was concerned about something, maybe the bruise on her forehead or her black eye. It was confusing and Blanca stepped closer to her mother, not wanting to get too close to this guy. She realized he was the same one who lived next door to her and he had a creepy looking girlfriend, too.

A much shorter girl joined him. She was white with her blonde hair in two braids on either side of her angelic face. Blanca assumed she was around seven or eight years old. She had on a bright purple dress. "Hi, what's your name? I'm Tricia," the little girl introduced herself.

"Blanca."

"You wanna play jump rope? My friends Mercy and Allie and Neri said I'm like a superstar at it!"

"Okay..."

Galina appeared next to the boy, who still hadn't uttered a single word. He just stood there awkwardly and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans as Galina wiped her flour-covered hands onto her black apron, making white streaks appear on the material. She wore a cotton dark blue dress and her thick red hair was tied into a half pony and flipped up at the ends. "Blanca, Trina, hello! Why don't you come in?" she asked in a merry tone. "I'm just finishing up dinner! You can join us if you'd like." She looked over her shoulder toward the stairs. "Mal'chiki, spuskaysya i yesh'!"

 **Boys, come down and eat!**

Blanca nodded and obeyed the red-haired lady. She followed Trina inside and stared at the floor. "Thank you, Galina, for everything." She took a moment to glance up at the Russian lady and politely grin at her. "I really appreciate it."

"Oh, you're welcome, sweetie!" Galina rolled her eyes. "Jesus, why are everyone else's sons more behaved than mine? Tricia, please go get Vasily, Yuri, and Maxsim." She pulled on Tricia's braid slightly, ran her knuckles down the girl's cheek, and gestured up the stairs. "Tell them we have guests, okay?"

"Okay, Red!" she said cheerfully. She giggled as she did what Galina had requested of her. "You idiots are in _biiiiig_ trouble with your mama!"

Galina smirked and shook her head. "That's my girl." Trina grinned and Blanca snickered. She almost forgot the Dominican boy was still there until she heard him also chuckling quietly under his breath.

"That one of your sons' friends?" Blanca questioned Galina in a faint voice.

"Yes...Dario, but he insists on being called Diablo. My boys are probably surfing the Internet upstairs, listening to music, or building a pillow fort. At least they're not outside causing trouble..."

"Oh." His nickname seemed to suit him, so Blanca decided to refer to him as that inside her head from now on. She'd never really speak to him out loud, as devils reminded her of demons, which were monsters, the beasts who tormented her and the eleven other girls inside the cottage of nightmares.

" _Hola_ ," Diablo said sweetly and gave her a gentle smile, but Blanca hid behind her mom again until he left the room.

Chances were, that if he talked friendly to her in the presence of others, he could be the complete opposite if she was ever alone with him. She would never allow that to happen.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, VeraRose19 and the guest!**


	9. Cracked

**Gloria's parents are alive in this story, since they are in canon, so I changed that bit in chapter 2.**

 **Warning: Sexual harassment and mentions of horrific abuse.**

Diablo closed his eyes and leaned back against Vasily's headboard after the awkward dinner with Blanca, Trina, Red, her sons, and Tricia. Lida had also come for dinner, but at the last minute. He couldn't stop thinking about the childlike dark-haired girl downstairs with her injured face and how he could've introduced himself better. "What the hell have I done now?" he asked himself. "Why do I keep fucking up with girls? First, I found out Zirconia wants a threesome with me and Joel, and now I just scared Blanca. Nice goin', Zuniga!" he muttered sourly to himself. "I _had_ to open the damn door and speak to her." Blanca had been the first of the kidnap survivors who he'd met thus far, and she looked extremely beat up and torn down. It absolutely broke his heart how cruel and animalistic adults could be to kids.

"See, that's why I didn't go down there until we were called for dinner. It's not your fault, man...we've never been around a traumatized teenage girl who's seven years old mentally," Maxsim responded.

"I just feel bad...I spoke to her calmly and she couldn't deal with me being there. I'll stay away from her if that makes her feel better, but how can I show her that I'm a good guy so that she doesn't have to avoid seeing Red because of me hanging out with you? I'm not like those scumbags and neither are you guys."

"Yeah, I knocked out my former best friend for withholding evidence and aiding and abetting those monsters who tortured her and the rest of the girls for so long!" Vasily agreed.

"My god, V, if I'd seen 'em wherever those creatures were keeping 'em, I'd tell an adult," Diablo stated strongly.

"So would I, but that's how we are. Maybe ask Mama how to prove to Blanca that we're good...she would know," Yuri told Diablo.

"I used to crush on Blanca when we were kids, but that obviously can't happen now," Maxsim said.

They heard feet shuffling up the stairs and Tricia informing Blanca about her other babysitters who were Blanca's age and mentioned that Blanca would like them a lot. Lida promised to introduce Blanca to her friends, too.

"Did Blanca like you back?" Diablo wondered out loud.

"She said I had cooties, but she decided to marry me anyway because since I was Mama's son, and that made me nice. Do you think she'd remember that?" Maxsim wants to know.

"Maybe, but she seemed to barely recognize any of us when we were eating. She just kept her eyes on her plate. We should go into the living room and have a conversation with Mama and Ms. Flores about what we need to do should Blanca see us again while she's here," Yuri said wisely.

The four boys cautiously went outside into the hall and then walked downstairs. The two women were talking on the couch and drinking vodka with Coke and ice. They looked up when Red's sons and Diablo made their appearance known. "Hi, guys. What's up?" Trina asked.

"Señorita Flores...I deeply apologize for frightening your daughter," Diablo told her in a sincere tone. "If you never want me around when she comes to see Red or Tricia, I understand."

"Yeah, and we'll stay in our bedrooms unless she's in Mama's room or downstairs with Tricia," Vasily said nervously.

"Oh, no, don't be silly, Diablo. Half the population is male, and if she literally never passes you boys, she won't ever get used to simply being around guys in the bigger world that's beyond our two houses. You're a friend of the Reznikov boys, and they're almost like Tricia's brothers and definitely Galina's children. I know none of you will hurt her. Of course, meeting you made her anxious, Diablo, but if she keeps seeing you around, whether it be here or at school, and you're constantly extra nice to her, your voice is gentle, and you respect her barriers, then she'll slowly start to realize she can trust you."

"What if she always walks away like she did with Diablo?" Maxsim wanted to know. "I don't want her to feel bothered by us and then stop herself from seeing Mama or playing with Tricia in our backyard. She has the right to go where she wants without worrying about douchebags."

"As Trina said, it'll take Blanca, and I assume all those other girls, some time to be okay with you near them...maybe a month," Galina answers her youngest son. "You need to have a patient attitude about this."

"We will," Diablo said while shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I'll tell you this, not winking flirtatiously at her or licking your lips while staring at her was a very good start. Your mother has raised you well." Red smiled and patted Trina's shoulder.

"It's okay, Blanca," they could hear Lida saying in a soothing voice.

"That's exactly how you talk to her," Gloria lets them know. "You can wave in their general direction. Go ahead."

Lida and Tricia both led the broken girl down the stairs and Diablo, Maxsim, Vasily, and Yuri made the universal sign for _hi._ Tricia and Lida both hugged them and Diablo realized the girls were trying to get Blanca to see that they feel safe with the boys. "See, Blanca, they're fine."

The raven-haired girl mumbled something that fell on deaf ears, something about how they wouldn't do anything in front of the moms who were right there. Blanca walked to her mother and sat in her lap while wrapping her arms around Trina. She plopped her legs on Galina's lap and faced the back of the couch. It looked like she was putting her thumb in her mouth. Diablo took that as a sign she wanted to be left alone with the ladies, so he gave them their privacy. The boys went off in separate directions, Lida and Vasily to his room, Yuri to his car with Diablo so Diablo could get a ride home, and Maxsim went along with them for fun.

* * *

The mansion had long gone quiet when Diane's shriek broke through the silence.

"Let me go! Stop, please!"

"I gotta go check on Diane," Gloria told Fahri as she quickly left their bed. She slipped on her nightdress and nearly bumped into Aleida trying to get to Diane's room. They opened her door together and sat on either side of her bed. She was tossing and turning, and they were thankful it was just a nightmare and she hadn't been kidnapped again.

"Diane, sweetie, wake up, you're having a bad dream," Gloria murmured and gently shook her. Aleida stroked her hair and then Diane woke up sobbing.

"You're okay. We're all here." Aleida soothed her. They both rubbed her back in calming circles.

"Yeah, Mommy, the bad people went to jail, 'member?" Alex put in innocently. She sounded so tired.

"I do, honey, I'm sorry for startling you. Go back to sleep, okay? You need your rest." Diane wrapped her arms around her daughter and repeatedly smoothed her hand over the girl's eyes in a gentle motion to help her keep her eyes shut. While doing so, she stared up at the ladies. "Now you're the ones who get to take care of me, and I couldn't feel any guiltier. I'm supposed to be the strong one..." she mumbled. "I've got my little girl..."

 _Seven-year-old Aleida was crying. "Diane!" her shrill voice yelled out. "The boogeyman's gonna get me again! He's in the basement and he came up here!"_

 _"Oh, Lei, there's no such thing as the boogeyman," Diane tried to reassure her younger friend as she half-jogged into Gloria's room. Aleida was sleeping over and she and Gloria were sharing a bunk bed._

 _"I want a hug and you and Gloria to read me Cinderella, that makes him go away! Lourdes said she made him go away already, but I still see him..."_

 _"Let go of me!" they heard Gloria scream above them. "I'm twelve, I don't wanna die, no! No!"_

 _Diane was only thirteen, but she knew how to console both her sisters from their nightmares. She had defeated the Nothing at five years old, by repeating the mantra her grandmother had taught her when she was having a bad dream: you're not real, you don't exist. The monster would fade away if children didn't believe in it. She half-dragged Aleida out of her bed and helped Gloria down the ladder. They all went into Diane's room to sit on her bed and she told them to repeat after her._

 _"You gotta say the monster's name for it to work. Try it with me. Who wants to go first?"_

 _"Me!" both Gloria and Aleida shouted._

 _"I guess we could all say it together. Close your eyes, imagine your monster."_

 _Gloria shut her eyes tight. "Go away, Rat Beast, you don't scare me!"_

 _"Not exactly. Grandma always told me these two sentences; they worked right away. You are not real. You don't exist."_

 _"Boogeyman, you are not real, you don't exist!"_

 _"Rat Beast, you are not real, you don't exist!"_

 _"Good, now repeat until you can't see him anymore."_

 _After saying those sentences for about five minutes, the girls' faces lit up. "He's gone!"_

 _Diane clapped her hands and looked up at the ceiling. "Thank you, Grandma, I love you!_

 _She gathered her friends in her arms. "How about we read_ The Hunchback of Notre Dame _?"_

 _"Yay!" Aleida clapped her little hands._

 _"Yeah!" Gloria cheered._

"You always have been strong, Diane, and it's hard to see you this way, but now it's our turn to protect you. Want us to stay here with you?" Gloria asked softly, blinking back tears at the memory.

"No, it's okay, I'm sorry for waking you girls up."

"You sure?" Aleida wondered aloud.

"Yeah, go sleep with your men. There's not enough room in your bed for all of us, anyway."

"Good night, we love you!" Gloria whispered and they hugged Diane.

"You too," Diane replied and fell back to sleep.

The next morning, Gloria and Aleida were up early. They wouldn't let Fahri and Leon help them with breakfast, as this was from them to their homegirl and their niece figure. Gloria mixed the dough while Aleida handed her the ingredients. They both took a turn in spraying the whipped cream on top of the two chocolate chip banana blueberry waffles and then drizzling them with syrup. As a final touch, they sliced strawberries and put the bite-sized pieces of fruit around the plate. It was hot and it looked delicious. They made their way up to Diane bedroom.

"Here's to hopin' they ain't up yet." Aleida crossed her fingers.

"They both had a rough night, I don't think they are," Gloria assured her. She and Aleida opened the door, and sat on Diane's bed with her and Alex's breakfast.

Diane stirred and opened her eyes slowly. "Something smells wonderful," she murmured with a grin. She looked at her breakfast with delight. "Oh my, you guys cooked my favorite breakfast for me and Allie?"

"Mm-hm," Gloria said.

At the mention of her name, Alex rubbed her eyes open and stretched while yawning. "Oooh, yummy waffles and fruit and whipped cream, yay! Me and Mommy haven't been this spoiled since...I can't remember when! Thank you, aunties!"

"You're very welcome," Aleida said, and handed Diane and Alex forks so they could eat.

Later, the men came in with the little kids and breakfast, and they gave Gloria and Aleida breakfast, too. After everyone ate, they brushed their teeth. Alex went into the nursery room to play with the children. The adults casually watched the news while getting ready for the day, but a certain report stood out, about the wealthy banker Lee Dixon and his arrest. Pictures showed on the screen while the newscaster spoke.

"The question still remains: where is his wife? What is a wig and a pair of sunglasses doing in their bedroom? Was the wife pretending to be blind, and if so, there must be nothing worse in the world than that."

The report showed Dixon getting released to give his statement, and he said, "Lola must have ran away when she realized her secret was out. She really played me because I thought she had two disabilities. When she took the wig off and started saying stuff and telling me she could see clearly, I was so heartbroken. Who would do that?"

"That stupid good-for-nothing asshole!" Diane yelled. "How could he say that? He's a criminal, if he's in jail, ya know...anyway, let's have girl talk."

Fahri and Leon took that as their cue to leave the room and Diane turned off the television. She tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "So, how are you doing at your bodega and the cafeteria, Gloria? Do you have a job yet, Aleida?"

"I realized that my dream job was neither of those...but I still love to cook. I now own a dance club that I named _GloLeiDi_ , as a tribute to us. Also, it's a play on words...you _glow_ while you're dancing, then you _lay_ down when you're tired, and then you _die_ from happiness because you had so much fun." Gloria smirked and nudged both Diane and Aleida. The three ladies giggle.

"Attagirl," Diane said and hi-fived Gloria.

"I actually went back to school. See, I quit in the middle when you left, since I couldn't concentrate on schoolwork when my big sister was missing. I'll be graduating soon, next spring, or the spring after. It depends how busy my life is with the baby and who knows, I may be expecting soon. I know Gloria is."

Diane's jaw dropped. "Aleida! You used to be so...wild, did I miss _that_ much? When did you girls meet Fahri and Leon?"

"Fahri was our handyman, and we had to sneak around Aleida. We have been together for two and a half years, ever since I was pregnant with Benny. We used a condom our first time, and he was really sweet and all...he still is..." Gloria's voice dropped to a whisper. "I never told him my secret."

"What secret?"

"You know, that I had two babies in high school and gave them up for adoption."

"Why not?"

"My ex-boyfriend, Robert Wilson, did not handle it well...we were next door neighbors, sometime after you were taken, Diane, and we dated for about a month or two before he broke it off."

 _"They tortured me, Bob, especially Linda Ferguson...and Diane was basically my only loyal protector. There was Bernard, too, but they called him emo, and me Braceface the Ho. I had pimples, coke-bottle glasses, braces, a big pregnant belly filled with twins, and high school was a nightmare. I just_ think, _if it hadn't been for Diane..." Gloria broke off into tears while Robert just stared at her. "Say somethin'...anything..." She leaned into him closer for a kiss, but he pushed her off of him when she tried to scoot in his lap._

 _"Get off me, you disgust me! I don't wanna know you anymore, you shouldn't have told me that you were Braceface the Ho! Linda was hot, and I wanted to date her, but she must have been busy dealing with your gross self!" Robert yelled at her. Gloria gasped and her heart hurt. It felt like she'd been punched in the gut, and she heard him slam the door behind him. A few days later, his house was for sale._

"He broke up with me because I told him I used to be a dork and pregnant in high school. It burns me to this day."

"Jerk!" Diane said angrily.

"It didn't help that he like-liked Linda Ferguson, of all people, as if I didn't feel awkward enough already."

They gasped. "Double jerk!" Aleida exclaimed.

"And he was a basketball player for the Chicago Bulls."

"Triple jerk!" the men hollered from the kitchen, and the friends laughed.

"Men and their basketball," Aleida groaned.

"It's like women with their shopping," Leon called back in a playful tone.

"Well, honey, if Fahri still loved you when you were pregnant with Benny and didn't leave you then he will accept your past." The sisters' voices went low again, since they didn't want Fahri to hear.

"Yeah, she's right, mom friend knows best," Aleida muttered, and Diane beamed. Aleida gave Gloria a warning look, her _don't tell_ look, and Gloria just let Aleida tell some of her story.

 _Gloria came home from work to find Aleida laying on her bed, depressed. She'd never seen her little sister like this, and she was a bit frightened._

 _"Aleida, talk to me, what's up?"_

 _"I'm pregnant," she moaned. "Matthew and I hooked up at this wild college party...Margarita warned me that he was bad news...why can't I listen to my best friend? She's younger than me with less experience, and she still thought he was awful. When I told him I was having his baby, he told me to abort it or he'd walk out of my life forever. I chose to keep the baby...he never spoke to me again...I thought he loved me...I feel so alone..."_

 _Gloria sighed and hugged Aleida. Diane always knew the right thing to say, and Gloria wished she were with them at the moment. She had no idea what to do besides just lay there with Aleida while listening to sad music. She then told Aleida the story of her and Bob._

 _"Why do we always get stuck with the losers?" Aleida asked._

 _"Maybe the universe is trying to teach us lessons. For you, it's not saying yes to a guy until you get married. For me, it's keeping embarrassing secrets hidden forever. We'll learn quickly, Aleida, but now, we need to take a break from dating. Let's just be two besties and go out for a night in the city, snack on ice cream, and watch chick flicks."_

 _Aleida wiped her wet cheeks with her sleeve. "Yeah, that would be fun."_

 _A week later, Aleida was experiencing great pain in her abdomen, so Gloria took her to the doctor. She squeezed Gloria's hand while listening to the dreadful news and watching_ blood _run down her legs._

 _"I'm so sorry to tell you this Miss Diaz, but you miscarried."_

"This motherfucker I met in college, Matthew, didn't come to my twenty-first birthday party when he said he would...and I just knew somethin' was bothering him...I felt like I lost everything. How did I not see that coming? I wish I was psychic...anyway, this was just after Gloria was heartbroken by Robert's rejection to her past, and we made a pact to swear off men until Gloria met Fahri and broke said pact. I didn't want them to date at all. When I found out they were seeing each other romantically in secret, I felt so betrayed, even more with Gloria than with Matthew."

"I'm sorry, Aleida. At least you met Leon last year," Gloria said apologetically. "They tied the knot even though none of Aleida's children are his by blood."

"Wow, you've never been the settling-down type." Diane mumbled. "I just wish Alex and I could have attended your wedding."

"Oh...I'm sorry we didn't wait for you," Aleida murmured.

"Don't be, it's okay that you moved on with your life," Diane told her sincerely. "Things really _have_ changed..." she noticed aloud.

"It helps that I fell for a marriage counselor, along with a handyman and Gloria's with Leon's co-worker, who fixed her heart along with this house."

"He's now going to be a doctor," Gloria said proudly.

"Excellent! Tell him way to go for me!"

Gloria beamed. "I will."

Diane sighed heavily. "Well, I need to job hunt when Alex goes back to school. She will eventually, and I don't wanna be home alone all day. I don't feel safe being alone or around people who might take me back to my kidnapper..."

"You could always take our kids to daycare and help out there until you find a job," Aleida said. "I hear Friendly's is hiring as well. They'll take you back. I remember they liked you a real lot there."

"Oh, I don't know...I may not be any good at that."

"You're excellent with kids, Di. They're okay with volunteers, and you can even go with us in the morning so the teachers can meet you. It'll just be a part time job, like a babysitter, and you'll be around trustworthy people," Gloria said.

"I don't trust myself to take care of kids," Diane admitted. "I...I love Allie and everything, but it's nerve-wracking when the two of us go anywhere together by ourselves. I'm so scared of letting go of her hand, and not just when we're crossing the street. Just keeping her in sight isn't enough. She's curious about the world around her and wants to explore. Imagine how I'd do with a child I don't know well. Allie got taken in front of my very eyes..." She gulped and wrung her hands which were shaking violently. "I know I had a beast restraining me, but what if the kidnapper just murders us both right away? I'd give my life for hers, but...I can't let her grow up without her mama. I couldn't even go with her to Daya's today, let alone take the girls to Pizza Hut!"

Gloria and Aleida looked at her sadly and put their hands over hers comfortingly. She, along with Alex, had a long road ahead of her, but the women knew she and her daughter would find their way. The Vauses needed help, though, and Gloria and Aleida would be there for them every step they had to take to make themselves heal.

* * *

Galina turned on the news while she, Tricia, Lida, her sons, Diablo, and Yadriel ate lunch because it was going to be about the girls' story. It was cold, so she switched the fireplace on. Tricia was in between Galina and Lida and Vasily was on the other side of Lida. Next to him were his brothers and their friends.

Photos of receipts for handcuffs, duct tape, electric cords, ropes, huge amounts of food, water, toys, clothes, feminine products, and books swarmed around the screen and then they showed the basement, where there were chains and the walls are covered with what Diablo assumed was the girls' waste, urine, puke, and blood. It made him queasy, seeing what they had all endured. The newscaster reported, "In today's special, we tell the story of the dirty, smelly house that these twelve little survivors were kept in for various amounts of years, the most being nine and the least being four days. A newcomer, Aleida McDonald, first discovered that one of the girls were trapped there when she went to work as a maid this past Monday night, and then local school cafeteria chef, Galina Reznikov, duped one of the captors into selling her the child. It was a miracle that these babies were found alive. They and their parents or guardians would like to remain anonymous. The New York Police Department made seven arrests Wednesday night and four police officers, Desi Piscatella, Biff Stratman, Greg Hellman, Tom Humphrey, Herbert Herrmann, a doctor, Andy Stryver, a citizen, Kubra Balik, and a student from Equality Charter School, Haluk Bayat, are now in custody and waiting for their hearing in April." The camera zooms in on a dead Asian woman's body. "On top of holding the children hostage for several years, these evil abductors fed corpses like the one shown here, to these poor little girls and made them suffer and killed numerous homeless people. They were planning to sell their captives on the black market when they reached the tender age of thirteen. Parents, hug your children for a bit longer today and tonight and tell them you love them whenever you can because you never know if something like this will happen to them and it could end in tragedy."

"Come here, my babies," Galina said with tears glistening in her eyes. She sighed shakily, gathered her boys and kissed the tops of their heads. "I adore each one of you. I'd die if anything like this happened to you." She gave Tricia and Lida the same treatment.

Usually, the teenagers would've shied away from her, rolled their eyes, or chuckled and said they loved her too, but this time, they didn't. Lida's mascara was running a bit and Vasily looked like he was trying to keep it together. Maxsim and Yuri wound their arms around Galina and both Vasily and Lida were sandwiched in between them. Tricia snuggled into Galina's other side and the older woman included the small blonde girl in their circle as well. Diablo sniffled and he knew this would be the first time he openly cried in front of his new friends and their mother. He and Yadriel joined the group hug. Yadriel also appeared to be upset.

"Mama, Lida, Yuri, Maxsim, Tricia, Diablo, Yadriel, I'm so lucky to have you all," Vasily murmured.

"We are too," Galina said while ruffling his hair, kissing Lida's temple, and stroking Maxsim's wet cheek with her knuckles to brush the tears away. She closed her hands around Yuri's and Tricia's and pulled them all closer to her, as much as they could get on that couch.

* * *

At about two that same Saturday afternoon, Charles took a trip to In and Out Burger, with thoughts of wanting to surprise Diane with lunch. His partner Felix was with him.

"That for me?" he asked teasingly with a smirk. "Or is it for your Juliet?"

"I'm going to try to get her to give her statement soon. Diane and I go way back, so far back that I remember her usual when we used to get burgers." Charles set the bags in his lap. "Diane's house, go."

Rikerson started to drive. "You really care about this girl, don't you?"

"I do, man. I wanna personally put this guy on death row and then beat him to a pulp so that he wants to die." Charles gritted his teeth. "That bastard changed her. The other night, she looked scared out of her mind...she wouldn't even talk to me."

"Then what makes you think she'll accept lunch, never mind standing up in court and testifying against Dixon?"

"Maybe when it's light outside and she's with her homegirls, she'll feel better about talking to me."

"This case is personal for you, so I think I should take it. Look, Charles, I know that you wanna do everything in your power to help her, and you can, but at a personal level. I can tell her the hard facts about needing to testify and you can just listen. You're on a first name basis with the woman, and trust me, business and leisure don't mix. My wife doesn't call me Officer Rikerson, she calls me Felix. If something happened to her, I would have you take the case, you know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, if Diane called me Officer Ford, it would seem strange. Thanks for taking this one for me, buddy."

"Anytime," Felix responded and pulled up to the house. They got out of the car and knocked on the door.

* * *

 _"Bitch, make something for dinner!" Lee shouted at Diane and kicked her in the side. She collapsed to the floor and held herself while trying not to sob. A glass broke over her and tiny shards rained down on her._

The smoke alarm went off as Diane shrieked through her panic. She had been making chicken for lunch, but since it was the first time she was cooking something bigger than breakfast since her life with _him_ , she couldn't concentrate on the task at hand. "Ow!" The sparks from the flames were rising higher and higher until the whole frying pan was on fire. She waved her arms everywhere and sent a dish flying. When it hit the floor, it cracked into millions of pieces. The kids were screaming and their parents carried them away from the kitchen while she poured cupful after cupful of water into the pan. The hissing steam rose up to the ceiling. She was relieved Alex didn't have to witness any of this, as she was with Daya at the guesthouse. "Shit, fuck, every curse word in the dictionary!" she swore at herself. "Gloria, Aleida!" A second later, a small hole formed at the bottom of her sweatpants, no matter how many times her sisters tried to beat the flame with a dishrag.

Diane whimpered and placed her hand firmly over where the scorching area was. Gloria turned off the stove and got some ice from the freezer. She held it to the red burn and instructed Diane to sit down.

"I'll take care of it, don't worry."

"I've ruined lunch..." Pain and humiliation crossed over Diane's face.

"We can still have potatoes," Aleida said as she tossed the black chicken into the sink and put it down the garbage disposal. She put on oven mitts and soaked the pan with hot water so the burnt bits could come off later when it cooled down. "We got more meat?"

The question went unanswered as the doorbell rang, and Fahri went to get it. "Charles, and...?"

"Officer Rikerson, sir. I hope you're not too busy...is Diane home?"

"Somethin' burning?" Charles asked worriedly.

"The girls are taking care of it, please come in," Fahri invited them.

"Oh no! Tía Diane got an owie! Mommy, Mommy, it's Charles and another officer person!" Benny announced as he ran into the kitchen. "They wanna see Auntie Diane!" He jumped up and down in place a few times.

Diane stood up from where she was sitting and limped over to Charles. The ice was left on the floor while she made her way towards him. He stopped himself in the middle of a sentence when he saw Diane. "I bought you cheeseburgers and fries...and I guess I came at just the right time."

"Uh, thanks, Charles, but I screwed up the chicken...I'm sorry."

"We all make mistakes; it's perfectly normal. Anyway, would you mind if my partner and I spoke to you for a minute, just you by yourself?"

Diane chewed on her lower lip, which was a habit she did when she was nervous. "Um, okay. That would be fine, sure. I-I mean, I haven't eaten or anything, but...but be back later," she stammered through her speech. She quickly followed Charles and his partner into a secluded room and they sat down at a table. "Are you sure nobody can hear us?"

"They can't if they don't listen in," Charles answered her. "You probably have an inkling of why we're here." He handed her a cheeseburger and a bag of fries. "We'll eat, he'll talk."

Diane took a bite and braced herself for what she was about to hear. They ate their food while the other officer introduced himself to her.

"My name is Felix Rikerson, but you can call me Officer Rikerson, if that makes you feel more comfortable. I'm investigating the Lee Dixon case, and Charles here tells me that you two knew each other quite a while ago, is that correct?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Would you like me to call you Diane or Miss Vause? Whatever you prefer."

"Diane's fine."

"Now, Diane, I know that you were Lola Dixon, and the world is asking where in God's name this woman is. How long were you living with this violent man?"

"Nine years," she said tersely. She blew out a big breath and ate some more to calm herself down. She didn't want to cry while eating.

"Before I ask any more questions, I need to explain things a little better. Charles can't work on your case, since he knows you inside and out. It's too personal for him, and feelings would get in the way of information that needs to be known. He won't want to force you to say anything you don't want to say." Her heart sank and she was crestfallen. "I'm sorry, Diane. If it makes you feel any better, I know you can win this case against Dixon. We all know that what he did was wrong and despicable. If Charles gets too involved in this, he won't be able to control his emotions, and it may get him fired or your case thrown out. He can't even hold this guy down in court-only I can. However, he can find out what happens to this guy and help you with your statement. He can stand with you as a witness."

"My statement? What, I gotta say somethin'?" She narrowed her eyes at the men. "I don't even wanna think about what happened, let alone talk about it. Do you know how upset that makes me? I mean, I haven't even told my sisters yet." Diane laughed humorlessly. "Why can't you just keep him in jail or shoot him yourself or somethin'? You're cops and you want to protect me, well then, don't involve the victim in this shit. I never wanna see that vicious animal again." She got up and tossed the rest of her fries at Charles. "Why didn't you say anything against his bull, huh? I thought you were on my side. You're lucky there wasn't any ketchup on those fries, or you would have had to throw away that goddamn fancy suit of yours because you can't wear stained clothes to work. Thanks a lot for ruining my day." Tears brimmed at her eyes as she stormed out the door angrily.

She ran to the kitchen and began to clean up. She swept the pieces of the broken dish into a dustpan and threw them in the garbage. She scrubbed the pan and then looked down at the largest slab of the cracked dish which represented her current state of mind. Diane turned on her heel and went to go upstairs but her sisters stopped her. She tried to get away, but they wouldn't let her.

* * *

"Could you just leave me alone, por favor?" a curly-haired girl begged some man who was towering over her in the Pizza Hut and guffawing while he flexed his arms and slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her head. They were both Latino. "You're trapping me, god damn it!" She was wearing dark gray hi-waisted jeans and a purple three-quarter length crop top with small black polka dots.

"You're well aware I'm stronger than you, though, _puta_ , just admit it! You're tiny compared to me! That gets my cock hard." He rocked his pelvis toward her hips once, but just enough to make her squirm away with her back and palms pressed into the wall and her knees bent slightly. Then, he lowered his face to hers and licked his lips slowly. "Where's your little friend Shani? You know I've always wanted to touch her chest and watch her do an Egyptian belly dance! Man, I just really wanna put my hands under that tiny thin shirt you got on, which is exposing your tummy...you know I like my bitches with a little skin showing... _especially_ the midriff!"

 _"Coño,_ I won't tell you shit! Get away from me, Carlos Litvack, or...or I swear to Dios I'll scream!" She stamped her foot on the floor, but the creeper just stood there, cackling and blocking her from moving further. She seemed to be trembling and it made Blanca's heart ache.

Blanca could really only see her from the side since he was so big, practically a whole foot taller, but she felt a strong urge to defend the poor girl. She'd never done anything like it before; she'd usually help out people like him just to survive and allow innocent girls her own age and size to get hurt. This time, though, it was different. She was in the free world. She could do whatever she wanted, as long as it didn't harm a good person.

"¡Hola, prima! ¿Cómo estás?" Blanca easily got in between them with her back to him, grabbed her by her hand, and successfully pulled her away from Carlos. "I'm happy you got my voicemail to meet me here."

 **Hey cousin, how are you?**

"Me, too," she mumbled, seeming confused. "¡Muchas gracias!"

 **Thank you so much!**

"De nada." Blanca led her to where Maritza, Trina, and Juliana were sitting. Carlos muttered curses under his breath in Spanish and then took off.

"Way to go, chica!" Maritza applauded with admiration in her eyes. Juliana grinned along with her daughter and Trina looked at Blanca with a smile. "Seriously, Blanca, that was dope."

"Yeah, you really saved me back there. I didn't even have a weapon to defend myself with...but you just used your words. I did too, but you made him vanish! I'm truly amazed. Soy Karla, by the way." She extended her hand and Blanca shook it. They exchanged a grin.

 **I'm Karla.**

"Me llamo Blanca. Es un placer conocerte."

 **My name is Blanca. It's a pleasure to meet you.**

Maritza raised her hand slightly. "Mi nombre es Maritza."

"Hola. Nice to meet you both!"

Juliana and Trina also introduced themselves to Karla.

"So, who _was_ that motherfucker?" Blanca wondered aloud as she put her hand on Karla's forearm. "It seemed like you knew him, since you used his first name."

Karla shuddered. "Eew, he's so gross. He's like _this_ with George Mendez and Dean Juarez." She crossed her fingers on her right hand. "The three of them make the most disgusting comments to any woman or girl who crosses their path. They've never actually done shit like left bruises or bloody gashes, or even rape, but...they sure do go outta their way to make us feel sick and invade our space. They're rookie correctional officers. I've heard they work at a juvenile detention center."

"Ugh..." Blanca scoffed and shook her head. Maritza appeared to be legitamately frightened and she leaned into Juliana, who rubbed her back soothingly. "They should be fired and then thrown in prison to rot." Blanca clutched her mother's hand. "This is why I go everywhere with Mami. I can't deal with the male species alone...the only reason I was able to rescue you, was because she was near us. Also, I wasn't lookin' at his fucked-up face. Only you. I just saw him out of the corner of my eye as he left. He's nasty!"

"Well, sadly, they've never actually committed a crime. It's sexual harassment, but without touching," Karla muttered. "I arrive nice and early and _this_ bullshit happens..."

Blanca smiles at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, but they're pedophiles if they do this to minors!" Blanca's mom insisted. "I was actually about to go up there and kick Carlos' ass, but..." She switched her attention to Blanca. "Mi niña handled it well."

"You two really _do_ look like primas!" Maritza noticed aloud. "Sorry for the change in subject, but yeah...I don't wanna talk about creepy old men who use their authority for evil. That's why I didn't join in until now."

Blanca grinned at her, feeling grateful. "It's cool. I'm relieved not to discuss it anymore either."

"I apologize if I upset you girls," Karla murmured.

"It's okay," Blanca and Maritza told her in unison.

* * *

Felix looked at Charles with a defeated expression. "What the hell do we do now?"

"I'm going to make her feel better about this whole situation."

"Diane, what's wrong?" they heard someone outside ask.

He left the room to find her sitting on the bottom of the staircase with her sisters on either side of her, comforting her. She had her head in her hands and her elbows atop her knees.

"Charles's stupid partner is trying to force me to testify in court in front of thousands of people I don't know, half of them are his family and friends, and I just can't deal with that kind of pressure!" she explained meekly. "He said Charles couldn't just slit L-uh, the criminal's, throat. I mean, what the fuck? How is that fair? How hard is it to just throw someone in jail? We don't even have money for a lawyer! I mean, we do, but I don't need one because the crime was committed _against me,_ for fuck's sake!"

"Honey, let Charles help you. He'll be a witness since he actually saw what kind of environment you were living in. It will be too emotional for you guys if he takes your case." Gloria leaned on Diane's shoulder.

Aleida looped her arm through Diane's. "He'll be a witness and Gloria and I will both be holding your hands through it all."

Charles walked toward them. "Just go away," Diane mumbled thickly.

"I know you're scared, Diane, I can see it in your eyes. I also know that you're mad at the world and I'm so sorry-"

Diane snapped her head up and gave him the most menacing glare, but he didn't back down.

"Stop it, just stop it...you were trying to guilt me into doing things for you...trying to bribe me with fast food! Why did this have to happen to me, why the _fuck_ me? Ugh!" she exploded. Angry tears slid down her cheeks. "You couldn't just take the case for me, huh? You're supposed to be my friend, but then you sic Rikerson on me? What kind of friend is that? God, you just feel sorry for me! I'm that poor woman who got abused by her kidnapper for nine years and a mother who was ripped away from her daughter for that same amount of time, that's all I am to you, so shut the fuck up with your stupid apologies," she said darkly. Her blue eyes had never looked so fierce before, but Charles could see all the hurt behind them. He couldn't help but feel like a failure. Luckily, Aleida spoke next before he could say anything else that would stab Diane in the heart.

"Juliana Ramos is a lawyer and with all of our money combined, especially Fahri's, we could hire her for you, Diane. Tell your story and ignore that bastard and his cronies. Stare at somethin' above everyone's heads and just talk. All you gotta do is act like you in English class and you don't want people staring at you."

"Oh, stop making everything sound easier than it is, Aleida! You always do that, you're a pro at it! Oh, I'm the great and rebellious Aleida, I just got out of a goddamn shopping mall with billion dollar bracelets around my wrist, wow I love the five finger discount!"

"Diane," Gloria interrupted her gently.

"You actually hurt my feelings, Diane, I ain't that way anymore. Don't bring that up, I ain't proud of how I was!" Aleida was visibly upset.

" _Your_ feelings," Diane sneered. "You completely ignored mine. Don't try to tell me how I feel."

"I'm trying to help you, and you're being such a bitch!" Aleida burst out.

"Try calling me a bitch again, and this time, add the words ' _cunt-ass whore_ ' because it sounds so cute to my ears!" Diane yelled. She would have hit Aleida, if Charles hadn't restrained her arms.

"Let go of me! She needs a good, hard slap!"

"No, you don't wanna hurt those who love you."

"She's gone off the deep end, Gloria, just kill her," Diane snapped.

"Hey! Alright, you two, enough!" Gloria cut in. Charles wondered when she would intervene, and he slowly removed his hands from Diane's arms. "Diane, Aleida has a point. As for you, Aleida, don't tell Diane how to feel, you've never had to stand up in court and explain to a room full of people how you were hit and kicked while you were down for nine consecutive years in a row."

"Gloria, you're siding against me too?" Diane demanded. "How dare you!"

"Diane, please, please, just consider what we're telling you," Charles calmly persuaded her. "I know you like to argue to win, and if you testify in court, this guy will definitely be put away for the rest of his life. He will lose, and you will automatically win. If you keep it bottled up inside you forever, you will never heal properly. You'll constantly have nightmares and panic attacks."

"Yeah, after I suffered through domestic violence, ever since I spoke up in court, I had never felt so free and alive in my entire life," Gloria added. "When I found out that creature was behind bars with a life sentence, I prepared to spread my wings. Diane, don't you wanna feel like that?"

"I want to fly," she said after a long period of silence.

"So does this mean you'll do it? You'll testify?" Aleida asked hopefully.

"Yeah, it'll be like a ton of bricks lifting off my chest. Aleida, you were right. I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

"Sisters again?"

"Sisters," Diane agreed and hugged Aleida.

"I'm glad you guys have made up," Charles said.

"Yeah, we all need each other," Gloria chimed in. They shared a group hug and included Charles. Felix came in on the scene.

"Is she okay?"

"She's gonna speak against him in court, if that's what you mean," Charles reported.

"You guys are miracle workers. This guy is going down. Ford, we've got more business to attend to."

"Right behind you, partner. Bye, girls. Diane, thank you for going through all this. I know it's hard for you, but you are incredibly strong. You survived against all odds. Take comfort in the fact that your sisters and I are backing you up."

"You won this time, because it was three against one...at least he'll be in the slammer for life."

Charles gave each of them a hug and left the house with Felix.

* * *

Just then, Pizza Hut's double doors opened and a bunch of girls walked in. Right away, Blanca spotted Daya, Nicky, Flaca, Alex, Lorna, and Alana, and she recognized two other members of their group. The one who wore a hijab had sat on her the other day, but Blanca understood why. She was just trying to defend Daya. The other Latina with her elbow resting on Flaca's shoulder had to be her best friend Cat, from the news. Two older women, one white and one Latina, followed them in and then sat with Trina and Juliana.

Karla went up to a tall brunette in their circle who was standing close to Nicky. "Hey, Shani!" They exchanged a hug.

"Flaca!" Maritza squealed. Her eyes widened and filled with joyful tears when she saw her best friend and a broad smile spread across her face.

"Maritza! Ay dios mío, chiquita, it's really you!" Flaca gasped as she and Maritza rushed to the center of the fast food joint and wrapped their arms around each other, weeping softly. Flaca kissed the top of Maritza's head a few times and Maritza buried her face in Flaca's chest as Flaca just held her there. She lifted the shorter girl off the ground, spun her around, and set her back down on her feet.

Like them, Blanca wasted no time in standing up and greeting her fellow captives. She was the happiest to see Nicky and Flaca, and she enjoyed reuniting with them. They, along with Maritza, embraced her altogether. "Mmm, it's so good seeing you again," Blanca mumbled.

"Yeah, you too!" Nicky told her and reached up to pat Blanca's cheek. Flaca stroked Blanca's hair and crushed Blanca and Maritza together in her arms. Alex joined in behind Nicky soon after, and then Lorna and Alana shyly placed themselves in between Nicky and Blanca. All the love Blanca was surrounded with made her want to cry. They were finally okay and together again.

When they broke apart, Blanca noticed Cat, Daya, and her other friends, including Karla and Shani, grinning. Daya quickly introduced Blanca and Maritza to Allison, a Muslim girl, and Poussey, an African-American girl with a mohawk and hoop earrings. She dressed a little Goth, similar to Flaca and Blanca. The girls who hadn't been kidnapped plus Lorna ordered one cup of Powerade each and an extra large cheese, pepperoni, and sausage pizza to share and everyone got a table together. However, Blanca, Maritza, Flaca, Nicky, and Alex, were following their diet of rice, chicken, and water for lunch, so their digestive systems could gradually go back to normal. They'd eaten at home already. If they had pizza, it would be a shock to their systems and they wouldn't be able to keep it down. In Lorna's case, it was different because she hadn't been living on disgusting food, if one could even call it that, for too long.

"So, where's Stephanie?" Maritza asked Alana.

"She's busy taking care of her mom."

"Maritza, Blanca, this is Shani," Nicky informed them as everyone sat down. "You probably met Karla already, as she got here early. They were my first friends in school."

"We all bonded over being the new girls," Shani told the group in an Egyptian accent.

"You probably seen her before, but Cat from television." Flaca patted the girl's shoulder. She wore a black shirt and red jeans with a matching beanie and black glasses.

"Hello," Blanca said and she and Maritza both waved to Shani and Cat, who returned the gesture with polite smiles.

"I'm happy that my grandma and Flaca's mom are here," Alex said softly. "Who are the other two ladies, though? The more women near us for protection, the better. I just hope they're not like Vee..."

"They're mine and Blanca's mamas," Maritza assured her. "They ain't gonna hurt us."

"Yeah, they'll always be around for supervison. Where's your mom, Alex?" Blanca asked.

"She's dealing with her own trauma. It's been hard for her, too, and she needs my aunties today. So, my grandma took me to Daya's house while Auntie Glo's tía cared for our baby cousins," Alex explained with her chin propped up in her hand.

"Mm-hm, I'm glad we made plans to meet here! I wanted Alex to meet some of my friends and reunite with the rest of you." Daya nudged Alex.

"I just randomly saw Flaca in some art store, Michael's, with her mom and Cat, so I invited 'em to come with us," Nicky added and patted Flaca's hand from across the table. "Theresa drove us here."

"Of course, we were real excited to see each other, too!" Flaca pointed out.

"Was your mom there with you?" Alana wondered aloud.

Nicky shrugged. "She wouldn't be caught dead in a place like that. She's been all about concocting plans for my Bat Mitzvah and my speech, and I had to get the fuck away from her. Turning thirteen makes me think about how I'd be sold at that age."

"I was gonna have to wear contacts when I officially became a teenager," Alex muttered.

"Thank the Lord we're outta there," Lorna said and started eating her slice of pizza.

"Yup. Hey, just wait until you girls meet the rest of Daya's pals. Piper, Polly, and Brook are riots," Nicky changed the subject. "They made me crack up at lunch like three times yesterday. Their problems are so _bland_! Like, who the fuck cares if your boyfriend doesn't wanna hold hands with you? Get a new one."

Karla, Shani, Daya, Allison, Poussey, Lorna, and Alana chuckled altogether, and then the rest of the girls joined in. "Yeah...I honestly got no idea how we put up with 'em," Daya grumbled. "That's part of why we didn't bring 'em here. Cindy can be a dumbass, too. Janae ain't so bad, but she's training for her track meet next week. That girl loves to sprint. Zirconia's with Diablo. I asked her to bring over Maria and Michelle later if she wanted. Pennsatucky and her classmate Suzanne are busy with a school project at one of their houses."

"Zirconia's awesome! She's in some of my classes and kinda looks after me." Alana grinned. "She has a mouthful of grills, which makes her appear dangerous, and she acts tough to people who piss her off, but she's really a softie inside."

"Oh, I see! That's super cute. So, um...did you watch the news report?" Maritza wanted to know.

Alana shrugged. "I didn't feel like it. It was making me and Auntie Stacey really upset."

"Yeah, it was so sad," Karla answered glumly. "I couldn't even imagine...but I did see it."

"Me, too," Shani murmured, resting her chin on her fist. "My heart is broken at what all of you went through."

"Ditto," Poussey said. "Fuckin' monsters! You poor girls." Daya, Allison, Cat, and Karla nodded in agreement.

"It was the most upsetting topic of the news today," Allison murmured.

"Nope," Nicky said, popping her lips on the 'P'. "I wouldn't lay my eyes on that shit if ya paid me."

"Our moms and Gloria might have, but we didn't," Daya put in and gestured between herself and Alex.

"Neither did I...although, my mother and Franny did," Lorna chimed in.

"Yeah, same, I asked my mom not to turn it on and I didn't wanna see or hear it," Flaca added.

"I feel ya. We already experienced all of it and I don't wanna go to trial, but my mama said I gotta go so that these cruel men can be put away forever," Maritza grumbled.

"Mine will be making a statement at the trial, because I refuse to talk in front of a bunch of people. I won't be able to stand up or face the men who damaged me and the rest of us so horribly," Blanca said. She traced invisible patterns on the table and looked at her mother, who was in deep conversation with Theresa, Juliana, and Frieda. The four women would occasionally peer over at the girls and one of them would give the older ladies a thumbs up as a sign that things were going alright.

"I get that completely, I'll just disassociate," Alex muttered and adjusted her glasses further up on her nose. "I slept with my mom again last night with the reading lamp on. When I closed my eyes, I suddenly had an urge to play with Daya again." She squeezed Daya's hand and the childhood friends beamed at each other. "I'm so comfortable being here with you girls."

"I am as well," Nicky agreed while fiddling with her blue bracelets around her wrist. "Hey, nice braces, Allie!"

"Thanks."

"I liked going to Galina's house and meeting her in person. Her...I guess, daughter figure, Tricia, she's cute, and Galina's real nice. So is Lida, Vasily's girlfriend." Blanca told them. "The only obstacles are her sons and their friend...Diablo. I know they won't touch me with Mami, Galina, or Tricia around, because nobody would dare to get themselves in trouble, but on the way home from the Reznikov home, Mami referred to them as _gentlemen_. I've never heard of such a word."

"Well, they are. Galina didn't raise her kids to be savages...and Diablo is a pretty awesome dude, too," Daya said with certainty lacing her tone. "Allison and I have known 'em since we were in first grade."

"For me, it was second," Lorna piped up.

"Nah, that's impossible. They could be going against Galina behind her back, and Diablo might be a perfect angel to your face, but you don't know what he does to girls when you ain't lookin'," Flaca told them fervently.

Blanca gestured to Flaca. "Exactly, that's what I'm sayin'!"

"Hey, nice boys exist. There are those handsome princes in my favorite fairytales who treat their princesses like God's gift," Lorna pointed out. "Also, Christopher was real worried about me, and so was Vinny..."

"Sure, but those are just made-up stories. There's no such thing as a real gentleman who's perfect in every way," Nicky countered her and agreed with Blanca. "Christopher didn't even notice you were gone, kid. Vinny kinda did, I guess, but...all guys are pricks."

"Very true. My father neglected me and my mother, but that was just the start of it all. Even Haluk and Dr. Striver got angry with us at times and threatened to stitch our mouths shut or not feed us if we cried, but that was just to please the evil men," Alex mumbled.

"There's no excuse for their behavior, though!" Cat insisted and drummed her fingers on the table. "They're just as bad."

"Yeah, miserable pieces of shit!" Karla added just before taking a sip of her Powerade.

"Mm-hm," Daya, Allison, and Poussey concurred in unison.

"They'd get punished if they weren't at least a little violent. Plus, Haluk thought Nicky was Piper during his schizophrenic episodes and she let him take his anger out on her," Flaca said, and Nicky nodded in confirmation.

Shani pressed her hand to her heart, her face contorted in pain. "Oh my god. Nicky…"

"Boys will be boys, right?" Nicky grumbled while pulling at a lock of her hair.

"No, sweetie. No," Allison muttered.

"I don't like being hit, none of us do...but mine and Flaca's boyfriend Biff did what he thought was right, and we love him," Maritza told them brightly.

"Yep!" Flaca agreed, twirling the blue stripe in her hair around her index finger. "I could tell you did too, Alana."

Alana wrinkled her nose and frowned. "Ew, no!"

"I hope he nor Haluk were taken by the police, but just maybe given community service for not bringing us to our mamas. They deserve the best because they stuck with us during our time in the cottage from Hell," Maritza stated.

Blanca shared a concerned look with Karla and the rest of the girls, except for Flaca and Maritza, appeared to be just as disturbed.

Suddenly, Taystee walked into the restaurant. "Hey, y'all!" she announced, and everyone's eyes traveled to where she was standing.

It was like she'd dropped down from heaven, the way Poussey was looking at her. "T!" She made a beeline towards Taystee, and both girls screamed voraciously as they shared a long hug, rocking from side to side. "I heard you was back, but I didn't know where to find you!" Poussey exclaimed. "It's so good to see you again, and I'm happy you're safe now."

"Me too, P! Boy, did I ever regret not getting into yo daddy's car when y'all offered me a ride!"

"Yeah, don't ever do that again," Poussey reprimanded her lightly and squeezed her around her middle.

"Ow, not so tight," Taystee said, and Poussey loosened her grip.

"Sorry, T."

"It's cool."

Blanca, Flaca, Maritza, Lorna, Alex, and Nicky embraced Taystee while the other girls beamed at the second reunion of the day in the background. "Whatcha doin' here?" Blanca asked while smoothing out her purple skirt over her black tights. "We all made a plan to meet up, but none of us knew your number."

"My guardian drove me here. I came in for a job interview, and lo and behold, I saw my best friend from third fuckin' grade!" Taystee responded and ran her hand through her black curls.

"We connected the very day we met. That's how you know a friendship is real, yo," Poussey bumps fists with Taystee and they beam.

"Aw, it's like with me and Mari, we was tight when we first saw each other too," Flaca said while slinging her arm over Maritza's shoulders.

"She was my favorite companion in those shitty circumstances. So was Blanca," Maritza commented, and both Blanca and Flaca beamed at Maritza's words.

"That's sweet! Well, Taystee, welcome to the crew!" Daya said as she shook Taystee's hand.

Taystee gave her a thousand watt smile. "Glad to be part of it!"

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, VeraRose19!**


	10. Innocent

**Karla's maiden name is Cordón, which is what her last name would've been in the series before they decided to change it, according to one of Karina Arroyave's (Karla) Instagram posts. So some fun little trivia there :)**

 **I did a major update/reminder on everyone's ages. Not much of a difference, but enough to keep it somewhat canon to the show and make sure all of the survivors can go to the same school (which is called Equality Charter School in Queens, open to all children, NOT Marie Curie Middle School).**

 **Julio-in Gloria's belly**

 **Emiliano-a few months old**

 **Benny and Christina-2**

 **Tricia-8**

 **Flaca and Cat-10**

 **Alana, Michelle, Ouija, Pidge-still 11**

 **Maritza, Nicky, Maria, Lorna, Daisy-12**

 **Blanca and Alex-13**

 **Shani, Allison, Poussey, Daya, Pennsatucky, Brook, Cindy, Piper, Zirconia-12**

 **Maxsim, Hassan, Nathan, Yadriel-13**

 **Diablo, Adarsh-14**

 **Taystee, Tamika, Vasily-15**

 **Lida, Franny, Joy Hayes-16**

 **Karla, Yuri-17**

 **Aleida-28**

 **Gloria-36**

 **Diane-37**

 **Red-45**

 **Also this story is set in 2003!**

 **Warning: mentions of child molestation, unwanted leering, death, and a jumpscare**

Jim had gotten permission from Theresa to give a sermon about miracles and he asked her if Flaca would mind him doing that. He wouldn't mention Flaca's name or any of the others', but he felt inspired, as he told her. She moved the phone away from her mouth and said, "Little one, Jim es pastor, lo que significa que está a cargo de los servicios de la iglesia dominical. Él quiere saber si estás de acuerdo con él hablando sobre cómo ocurren los milagros en nuestra vida diaria, y no solo por Dios. Se referirá a cómo tú y las otras chicas fueron rescatadas...es decir, si quieres que lo haga."

 **Jim is a pastor, so that means he's in charge of the Sunday church services. He wants to know if you are okay with him talking about how miracles happen through our daily life, and not just by God. He'll refer to how you and the other girls were rescued...that is, if you want him to.**

"Sí, mamá, pero quiero sentarme entre tú y Mari...o tú y Gloria...no puedo decidir." Earlier that evening, she and some of the girls had gone to Shani's twelfth birthday party. It was at a dance club owned by Daya's aunt figure, Gloria Mendoza. The woman struck up a conversation with them and Flaca bonded with her instantly. Gloria was so sweet, funny, and motherly, and Flaca could see why Daya loved her so much.

 **Yes, Mama, but I want to sit between you and Mari...or you and Gloria...I can't decide.**

Theresa grinned and lightly stroked Flaca's cheek with her knuckles. "Lo resolveremos." She got back on the phone with Jim. "She says it's fine. Alrighty then, you have a good night too! Bye!"

 **We'll figure it out.**

After she hung up, Theresa turned to Flaca again. "Hay otra cosa de la que quería hablar contigo. Jim...ya sabes, el hombre que me llamó...él y yo nos estamos haciendo muy amigos, como tú y Cat. ¿Estarías bien si él viniera por un rato a veces?"Flaca's eyes widened with fear. "I can assure you that I won't leave your side. You don't have to talk to him at all...it'll be like when we went to Galina's earlier and her sons were there. Jim is quite respectful of others' needs, so he'll leave you alone like the Reznikov boys did."

 **There's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. Jim...you know, the man who called me...he and I are becoming very close friends, like you and Cat. Would you be okay if he came over for a little while sometimes?**

 **"** Mamá, ¿cómo puedes estar conmigo y con él al mismo tiempo? I have to be far away from a guy. No me gustan. I'm just too scared."

 **Mama, how can you be with me and him at the same time? I don't like them.**

"Okay, Marisolita-Fajita, then you can have play-dates with Cat when I'm at home with Jim. I hope he will be my king someday, but no matter how much I love him, I promise that you will always be my number one."

"Yay! Ooh, I want a fajita!" she said, suddenly cheerful, and Theresa giggled at her adorableness. "I know I can't have one though, since it'll be too hard on my tummy. Mommy, can I go to Maritza's house tomorrow and invite Cat and Alex and her mommy and Gloria, too? Pretty please, with whipped cream and a cherry and sprinkles on top?"

"Definitely!"

The night before church, Theresa suggested that Flaca take a shower. "Debes lavarte el cabello cada dos días para que no se ensucie," Theresa said.

 **You should wash your hair every other day so it doesn't get dirty.**

Each of the bad men used to shower with her, one at a time. "No, Mami, me temo que alguien entrará a la ducha en cualquier momento."

 **No, Mommy, I'm afraid that someone will walk into the shower at any given moment.**

"They won't if you close and lock the door, honey. Showers are meant to be private."

"Oh, like going potty?"

"Sí, exactamente así."

 **Yes, exactly like that."**

"Can you give me bubble baths? I can't stand on a slippery floor good...I might fall."

"Por supuesto, no me gustaría arriesgarme a hacerte daño. Te enseñaré cómo lavarte el cabello y sacar todo el champú," Theresa told her.

 **Of course, I wouldn't want to risk you hurting yourself. I'll teach you how to wash your hair and get all the shampoo out.**

"Okay!"

Flaca ended up splashing Theresa's shirt in the tub, but she stopped when Theresa asked her to.

* * *

Gloria, come here..." Fahri already had his shirt off, and Gloria grinned. She could remember their first time in bed, when they had talked for hours and then had sex. It was the most amazing thing she'd ever done with any man in her whole life. Their talk would be in her mind forever. It was the thing that started their relationship in the first place.

 _She'd heard stories in the newspaper, that there was a car crash with two occupants inside, her handyman and his wife, and that the woman died on impact, but he had just suffered from a mild concussion._

 _"I kept thinking about what I could have done to save her, more than just CPR," Fahri confessed to Gloria with his chin propped in his hand as he laid on his side. She'd never seen this sensitive part of him before, and it made her want to hug him. "Missy passed on way before her time, and she shouldn't have. I was the driver, you know, the controller of the car, and I couldn't stop her from dying. One minute, we're singing to our song, and the next, we're hit by a blinding light. That damn truck driver...but I should have been paying more attention! I should know there are drunk drivers on the road, especially after eleven at night! I'm training to become a doctor, I should be smart! They shouldn't have kicked me out of the army, because then I might have died before her! I was wounded and dropped from the war, but they could have let me keep fighting, then she'd still be alive!"_

 _Gloria reached up to stroke his face, to wipe his tears away, and she shushed him gently. "Stop blaming yourself for someone else's stupidity. You did everything you could. I got survivor guilt, too, you know. It happened in my freshman year of college. I had this friend, Bernard, in high school, and I guess you could have called us two peas in a pod. One night when it was raining, this crazy psycho attacked him in a dark alley and killed him, one bullet, that's all it took to make him depart from the world. Sure, he was in the wrong spot at the wrong time, and I was angry at him for leaving me, but in the end, I blamed myself. I should have hung out with him that night...it was his birthday, and I wanted to take him out, but he wouldn't let me. He didn't want to celebrate his birthday, he just wanted to run away from home. I told him he could always be with me here. He never made it to eighteen, and I discovered that he had a lot of problems he never told me about. He always thought low of himself, and I thought I boosted his self-esteem enough, but I guess I didn't. I never told him this, but I loved him, Fahri, he was the last thing I thought of when I closed my eyes every night, but I never got a chance to find out if he liked me the same way." She swallowed hard and let the tears fall._

 _"Of course he did, Gloria, who couldn't love a sweet, caring girl like you?" Fahri asked rhetorically. "You did nothing to cause his death, and I can understand why you were angry. I was angry with Missy for leaving me...but then sadness took over. At the funeral, I could not say a speech. I couldn't say how much I loved her, because I was afraid I would just...break down in the middle of a sentence, or a word, even. So I just sat in the pews and cried while listening to others' speeches. I wondered how they could hold it together."_

 _"At Bernard's funeral, I did nothing but cry. I told my sisters that of course the only dude who ever worshipped the ground I walked on would have to die. I told them that I should just give up on romance, but they hugged me and took me to his grave all the time so I could place flowers by it and talk to him. Now, I can go there alone without sobbing hysterically."_

 _"Missy's grave is also decorated with flowers, and I spent a great deal of time with her every day. I tell her what I'm doing, and I just know she's having a good time in heaven."_

 _Gloria snuggled closer to him and let him put his arms around her so their bodies were fully touching. She basked in his warmth. "You know, you're the first man I've cherished since Bernard. I had this image of him when I was sleeping...he told me he wanted to see me happy and move on with a nice, loving gentleman. I think you holding me is making him happy, and thank you for that."_

 _"Right before Missy died, she whispered to me to take care of myself and find a woman as good as she was. I bet she's smiling down at us now. You are my soul mate. We're two halves of a whole." Fahri kissed her deeply and the lip-locking went further until he pulled a condom out of his pocket, and Gloria knew at last she had found a man who adored her as much as she adored him. She just had to keep one thing to herself. Even though the safe sex felt good and the talk connected them more than ever before, she couldn't stop the nagging voice that kept going off in her head, but it silenced itself because she'd ignored it for so long. She would never talk about high school again to another man for as long as she lived._

 _Gloria and Fahri cuddled in bed together and then when all was quiet, they made love._

 _"_ Where have you been all my life?" he asked.

She smiled flirtatiously and rested her head on his chest. She glanced up for a split second and all of a sudden, she noticed something was off about their window. There was a strange noise outside, and she jumped.

"Honey, did you leave the window open? I love the window open when we have sex, because it cools us down."

"No, I didn't...it's open a crack, and I don't remember touching that-" Gloria shrieked when her eyes landed on a slithering reptile that was traveling across their floor while hissing. She started to hyperventilate and pointed at the venomous creature. "Fahri...Fahri, there's a snake! ¡Ay dios mío!" She threw the sheet over her body while trembling. At least it wasn't a rat, since those frightened her the most, so much that she'd have to leave the room and sleep downstairs.

Fahri bolted up in bed and grabbed the first blunt object he could find, which was his alarm clock, and he beat the snake until it was dead. Gloria was breathing hard behind him and whimpering.

"How the hell did _that_ get in here?" Fahri grumbled.

"Did you kill it?" Gloria asked worriedly.

"Yes, I did...I will be right back." Fahri put his boxers back on, tossed the snake out the window, closed it, and exited the room.

At once, Diane and Alex ran into Gloria and Fahri's bedroom while holding hands. Aleida joined them shortly after. Their eyes were full of fear.

Alex whimpered. "Mommy, I don't like snakes!"

"Neither do I, sweetie." Diane hugged Alex closer to her side.

"How did a snake get in your room?" Aleida asked her friend.

"I don't know," Gloria said tearfully. "The window was opened, and we didn't open it!"

"That's really creepy...remember when our door was unlocked and someone let a dangerous dog in our house when we were in college? We all locked the doors before we left for school, oh my god, is it happening again? Weird shit happening in the middle of the night?" Diane looked towards the window with a terrified look in her eyes.

Fahri burst into the room, and the women jumped slightly. "Nobody's out there. I checked outside and went around the back of the house, and what I'm guessing is that it was just a stupid prank and the perp ran away when they saw me waving the baseball bat around."

"Ooh, I would just love to get my hands on that little-" Gloria stopped mid sentence and growled. "Fuckin' scaring me to death..."

"Are you okay now, baby?" Fahri asked Gloria. She nodded and he held her close.

Diane and Aleida kissed her on the head, Alex pecked her cheek while steering clear of Fahri, and then they went back to bed.

* * *

The next day before church, Juliana put Maritza in a pink dress, white tights, black Mary Janes, and a purple ski jacket. She fixed her daughter's hair in pigtails and brushed the girl's bangs to one side, which Maritza loved.

A while later, people filed in the pews and Maritza sat down next to her mother while swinging her legs back and forth and from side to side. She recognized Mrs. McDonald and wanted to say hi to her, but there was a man with her.

"Mama, there's the lady who I saw when she came to work for those mean men."

"Oh, hola, Aleida!" Juliana waved her over and wrapped her arms around the other Latina. "Mari saw you almost right away."

"Good seeing you again, Juliana!" Mrs. McDonald knelt down next to Maritza with a warm grin. "Hi, honey."

"You're pretty like my mommy."

"Gracias. ¿Te gustaría saludar a mi hija, Daya? Ella es dulce como tú."

 **Thank you. Would you like to say hi to my daughter, Daya? She's sweet like you.**

"Um...claro, pero ¿puedo ir contigo y mi mami?"

 **Um...sure, but can I go with you and my mommy?**

"Okay. She's over there..." Mrs. McDonald scanned the crowd. "Well, she _was_ with her stepdad, but now she's with her friends." Maritza and Juliana followed her to the back of the room where Daya and five other girls were hugging each other hello.

"Hi," Maritza said so softly that nobody could hear her.

"Dayanara!" Mrs. McDonald called out loudly, and Daya turned around. "This is Maritza."

"I know that, Ma, we met yesterday afternoon! Hey, Maritza," Daya greeted her with a pleasant tone to her voice.

Maritza nodded slowly and smiled at her politely. She was still timid in front of strangers. She could only hope that at least one of her friends from the torture cottage would be at church. She knew that Nicky wouldn't be, since the white blonde girl was Jewish. Of the girls Maritza had met recently, Shani and Allison were both Muslim, so they wouldn't attend either. Daya approached Maritza carefully and gave her a friendly hug.

By now, the other girls had noticed her. "I'm Piper Chapman," a white girl with blonde hair and blue eyes introduced herself. "These are my friends...Brook Soso, Tiffany Doggett, and Cindy Hayes," she told Maritza while pointing to each girl as she said her name. "I guess you know Daya already, right?"

Maritza nodded and waved at the little group shyly, and they copied her actions. Brook was Japanese-Scottish with long curly black hair with wire-rimmed glasses, Tiffany was thin and white with brownish-blonde pigtails, and Cindy was black with her hair in two puffs on either side of her head.

"Hi," they said in unison while smiling.

"You remind me of myself when I was a child. I even wore outfits like that. It's cute, really," Piper said.

"Piper, I think we should go take our seats now," Daya directed her.

"The pastor isn't even here yet!"

"I'm gonna go with Maritza," Daya said. She and Tiffany exchanged a look and then they accompanied Mrs. McDonald, Juliana, and Maritza to the row behind what was apparently the altar. "I'm sorry about her, Mari, she can be...abrupt." Maritza didn't know what Daya meant, so she just shrugged.

To her relief, one of Daya's other friends named Zirconia, showed up with Maria, Ouija, Pidge, Michelle, a brunette white girl Maritza didn't know, and one of the lady cops who rescued the girls, Susan Fischer. Ouija was even carrying her baby boy as they all walked in. There was also Alana and her aunt Stacey, Blanca and her parents, Alex, her mom Diane, and her aunt figure Gloria, three men, and Gloria's tía Lourdes. The Morello family filed in next and it was nice to see Lorna between her mother and her sister Franny. Taystee and Poussey strode in, linking arms, and Ms. Tendler and Jamaris, Taystee's foster mom and sister, and Poussey's parents, Lila and General James Washington, apparently, were behind them. The best surprise of all, though, was Flaca arrived just after they did. Her mom, Theresa, and their new friend, Karla, were flanking Flaca. Maritza squealed and hugged all of them in greeting, Flaca the longest, and gave baby Miguel a few kisses on his tiny cheek.

"I'm real glad you got your kid back!" Flaca gushed to Ouija.

"Yeah, me too," Ouija told her with a faint smile, and everyone beamed at the news.

When he delivered his sermon, Pastor Jim said, "You hear about miracles all the time...maybe you're cured of an illness you thought was fatal or maybe you almost die, you see a bright, white light and fly with angels, but then, Jesus sends you back down to earth, to people standing over you and praying you're going to survive this accident. A miracle is not just God surprising us, though. A miracle can come in all forms, such as two courageous women or people who gamble with the law and then get too caught up in their game that they goof up along the way. This happened just under a week ago, if you've all seen the news report about the human trafficking ring bust, you know what I'm talking about. One member of this congregation saved twelve girls." At this, the parents and guardians present beamed hugely at Aleida while hugging their rescued daughters, or nieces in Stacey's case, close to them and kissing the tops of their heads. Maritza wished Galina could've been there to hear it, but she was Athiest, apparently.

It was weird that Maria's mother Emily didn't bother to go, but Maritza just hoped maybe she had to work. She felt bad that even though Susan was trying to be just as loving to Ouija, Pidge, and Michelle, they didn't accept any touches of affection from her. It was probably because they weren't used to it. After all, Ouija and Pidge were kidnapped from inattentive parents they never knew and Michelle was locked out of her house for getting home past curfew and Cathy, her mother, had never let her back in.

"This message was about miracles, yes, but what I want you to go home with, is pure thoughts of those who mean a lot to you," Pastor Jim continued. "Don't take your loved ones for granted, because a miracle comes once in a blue moon. Your last goodbye could really be it, or maybe you never said anything because you were fighting or just assuming you'd see them when you expect to. I bless all of you."

* * *

After the service, Blanca felt something warm and wet trickle down her leg and her underpants were soggy. She knew now that she'd just peed her pants, but she was too embarrassed to admit it. She started wailing and the fact that two strange men were staring at her hungrily and licking their lips while pointing at her all though the service, didn't make things any better. She recognized both him and his friend as George Mendez and Dean Juarez from Karla's description of them, tall, white, and unpleasant. George had a pedophile-looking mustache and black hair while Dean was shaven with a hat covering his head. She wrapped her arms around Trina's waist. "Lo siento, mami, tintineé en mis pantalones." she whispered. "The bad men were being creepy." She jerked her chin toward where they were sitting.

 **I'm sorry, Mommy, I tinkled in my pants.**

"Blanca...está bien, fue solo un accidente y estabas asustada," Trina murmured into her hair. "¿Necesitas ir de nuevo?"

 **Blanca...it's all right, it was just an accident, and you were scared. Do you need to go again?**

"Tengo que ir al baño," she mumbled.

 **I gotta go potty.**

"Okay, baby, I'll take you."

"Dejé mi bolsa de gimnasia en el auto de mi madre, así que traeré sus llaves y traeré mis pantalones deportivos a Blanca si no tienes un cambio extra de ropa," Karla volunteered.

 **I left my gym bag in my mom's car, so I'll get her keys and bring my sweatpants to Blanca if you don't have an extra change of clothes.**

"That would be perfect, thank you so much," Trina said gratefully.

* * *

"Oye, Mamá, necesito mis sudaderas de tu auto, ¿puedo prestarme tus llaves por un segundo? Blanca se mojó porque esos pervertidos la aterrorizaban."

 **Hey, Mom, I need my sweats from your car, so can I borrow your keys for a sec? Blanca wet herself because those perverts were terrorizing her.**

"¡Ay, pobre chica! Por supuesto, adelante," Justina Cordón said while pulling her keys out of her purse and giving them to Karla.

 **Oh, poor kid! Of course, go ahead.**

Karla hurried to Justina's car, unlocked it, and grabbed her sweatpants. She went into the ladies' bathroom. "¿Señora Flores? Los tengo. ¿En qué puesto estás?" She saw a hand wiggling underneath the handicapped stall, so she slid her sweatpants under the door of it. "¡Aquí!"

 **Mrs. Flores? I have them. Which stall are you in? Here!**

"Thanks again, Karla."

"You're welcome!"

* * *

"Are you all better, sweetie?" Trina asked as she wrapped up Blanca's damp clothes in a paper towel and zippered up her jacket.

Blanca kept adjusting Karla's sweatpants. "Yeah, pero estoy saliendo de estos en mi trasero y las piernas son demasiado cortas."

 **I'm bursting out of these in my butt and the legs are too short.**

"No pasará mucho tiempo antes de que estemos en casa. Al menos estás cubierto y seco, ¿verdad?"

 **It won't be long before we're home. At least you're covered and dry, right?**

"Sí, mami."

Blanca and Trina walked to her mother's car and got inside. Although it was nice what Karla had done for her and she enjoyed seeing the other girls, Blanca never wanted to go to church again. She hated it since it was incredibly boring and most of all, she didn't believe in any higher being whatsoever. If there was one, they didn't help her and her fellow captives in the least, Galina and Aleida played major parts in that instead. She thought about Satan and how he punished bad people in Hell, and she really liked that. However, she didn't want to tell her mom that she worshipped the devil now.

* * *

After getting out of the cab, Nicky trudged along the sidewalk to Friendly's, where she was going to hang out with Shani for lunch. She didn't ask Shani to have her foster parents pick her up since she didn't want to bother her new friend. She went inside and waved at Shani, who already had tater tots on her plate that had ketchup drizzled all over them. The girl got up, went over to Nicky, and hugged her hello.

"I'm so glad you were able to meet me here! I had to get out of the house," Nicky muttered as they both sat down.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I don't have much of an appetite right now...I just needed to talk to someone." Nicky inhaled and exhaled sharply while staring down at the table.

"Well, I'm here for you," Shani told her sincerely. "I promise." Nicky glanced up at her. Shani had a genuine smile on her face and her eyes were soft. It felt like she was looking right into Nicky's soul. Immediately, Nicky held Shani's hands across the table and squeezed them tight as she prepared herself for what she was about to say. Her lower lip quivered and tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she'd sworn to herself that she wouldn't cry. She felt sweaty and shaky all of a sudden.

"My parents are divorced...I'm living with my mom now...her brother, my Uncle Pete was over...and I-I got...molested by him this morning. He got in bed with me overnight and I didn't even realize...until I woke up...to him...you know. Filthy fucking mongrel..."

Shani's eyes widened in horror and her jaw dropped. "Shit, I'm so sorry, Nicky! I hope he's locked up forever!"

"He isn't. I...I tried telling Marka, my mom, in the bathroom at synagogue, but she completely shut me down. She said...she said that her brother would never do those acts...and I was half asleep, so how would I know for sure if something was happening? It did, though, Shani! He-he touched me in a bad way! I-I can still sense his...thing...and...in my mouth and down there..." Nicky broke down sobbing with her hand over her mouth.

"Oh no, I feel terrible for you! Do you want a hug?"

"Sure, thank you..."

Shani went around the table to wrap her arms around Nicky, who went right into her embrace.

"I wanna tell another woman, too," Nicky blubbered. "I wanna test her reaction...like one of the ladies who saved us..."

"Of course...I'll get these to go and we'll take the N train to Galina's Russian market. I think you'll like the pastries there anyway!"

* * *

Trina turned on her vehicle's engine. "Sweetie, he estado pensando...debería comenzar a conseguirte pañales."

 **I've been thinking...I should start getting you diapers.**

Blanca stuck her tongue out at Trina. "¡No soy un bebé!"

 **I'm not a baby!**

"Sé que no lo eres, pero ¿quieres ensuciar el resto de tu ropa como lo hiciste hoy?"

 **I know you're not, but do you want to get the rest of your clothes dirty like you did today?**

"No, mami, ¡pero no pude evitarlo! ¡Acaba de salir!"

 **No, Mommy, but I couldn't help it! It just came out!**

"Entiendo eso, pero es más fácil empacar un par extra de pañales en lugar de otro atuendo."

 **I understand that, but it's easier to pack an extra pair of diapers rather than another outfit.**

Blanca sighed, her face burning with humiliation. "I guess so. Is this a punishment?"

"Not at all, this will be better for you."

"Okay, if you say so...but if I stop having accidents forever, no more diapers!"

"¡Eso es correcto!"

 **That's right!**

* * *

Flaca, Alex, their mothers, Gloria, Daisy, and Cat, went to Maritza's house upon Flaca's request. Gloria, Juliana, Theresa, and Diane sat together on the Ramos' porch, just like they always did in the summers before Diane went missing, but since it was winter, they drank warm tea as they watched the girls build a snow woman and make snow angels. There was a blizzard while they were at church, but luckily, they hadn't been snowed in when they needed to leave.

"So...what did you want to talk about, Jules?" Gloria wanted to know.

"Well, it's just...I kind of suspected that Duardo had some bitch over when Maritza took herself out of our house, but having it confirmed was really heartbreaking for me. He confessed it when I visited him in prison just to yell at him for losing our baby for real...he's in for selling drugs or some shit like that. He chose to spend time with his mistress than pay attention to Maritza and he was probably having an affair with that puta Rhonda at the time. I don't know why I didn't kick him out sooner!" Juliana responded.

"Honey, you can't blame yourself for that. You couldn't have known for sure," Theresa tried to soothe Juliana.

"I followed him to Rhonda's one day with Maritza in the car and he went inside her house...and then nothing else happened. I figured they were just friends, but a small part of me was insanely jealous. I didn't want to ask him about it since he'd know I was spying on him," Juliana confessed.

"My sanity flew out the window when Alex's father cheated...I didn't think he'd ever do that...but he did," Diane muttered.

"All I know is, if I was there, or if I brought my little girl with me to work, she'd be giggling about boys and sharing makeup and secrets with her best girl Daisy and her friends at sleepovers and maybe crushing on Darius or Maxsim or Dario or whoever by now instead of...having constant panic attacks and throwing up every time she eats yummy food," Juliana told them grimly. "At least she seemed okay at church..."

"I had to convince Alex to go to Daya's house the other night, and Daya's like, her best friend!" Diane shared. "She was more comfortable with Daya and her group today though, but of course, I still worry. She keeps to herself a lot."

"Last night, I had to distract Marisol with her favorite nickname, Marisolita-Fajita, so she'd talk about fajitas instead of worrying about Jim coming over or me loving him more than her. It's only been four days, ladies. How can our baby girls heal from something like this? For fuck's sake, Marisol is only ten, but she thinks she's eleven! It's scary how brainwashed she is. She doesn't even know her own age..." Theresa trailed off and gulped down a rising lump in her throat. "How can I help my little Marisol?"

"Yo, if anyone can do it, it's you. _All_ of you mamas gotta remember this about your daughters," Gloria stressed. "It's like what Galina and Trina told the boys when Blanca went over to the Reznikovs' place with Trina...it'll take time and patience. Keep reassuring them everything will be okay with you or one of us there, meaning their friends, myself, or our fellow mamas. Take 'em to therapy because they really need it and explain why they should go. They don't even have to say a lot and you could accompany them. I'm sure Daya or Allison will host many a sleepover and invite the girls. In fact, Daya's gonna throw a welcoming party for Alex and Poussey and invite her crew. It's tomorrow night, and I'm going to tell Lila and James Washington, Poussey's parents, about it soon. The seven of us...I'm talkin' about me, Aleida, Lila, Trina, and the rest of y'all here currently, stay upstairs while the girls hang out in the living room. Slowly but surely, it'll be clear to your niñas who's kind versus who isn't. They're smart girls, they'll figure it out. It's like, a child learns something by experiencing it over and over...well, same with your babies. I can promise you that they will not act like children for all of their lives. They ain't intellectually challenged, so they can mature to their actual ages and be on their own when they move out. It'll just take 'em longer than other kids their ages."

Diane, Theresa, and Juliana grinned at Gloria's uplifting speech. "This is why you're my best friend. Don't tell Aleida," Diane murmured. She shook her head. "Nah, if it weren't for Lei, none of this would've happened. I love ya both the same, who am I kidding? We're sisters forever."

Gloria beamed back at her and squeezed her hand. "You got your baby girl back. Y'all did. Enjoy 'em being little ones while you can, because when they grow up, they start sassing you and getting boyfriends and forgetting to text back right away because they're so busy that they can't bother to answer their motha or their tía!" Rolling her eyes, Gloria coughed out, "Daya."

That made the other women chuckle. "I'm sure she appreciates you both a lot more after all this, though," Juliana pointed out.

"Yeah, she does. You know, it's funny...she actually opened up to Aleida, and then me, about a college party that Piper dragged her, Allison, Brook, Zirconia, and Tiffany to. She told us things that we never knew, like she feels self-conscious with Piper. I guess it takes a traumatic situation to bring out those kinds of conversations. I mean...both Hellman and Mendez were trying to kiss her outside of school and Aleida immediately stopped them. They told her about the party, making a very sad attempt at tattling on Daya. I talked to her about it calmly without judgment...and I just asked her why. Aleida did, too. I didn't approve of it at all, but I wanted to understand," Gloria informed them.

"I think that was my mistake with Marisol earlier today," Theresa confessed. "She told me she wanted to wear Goth makeup, like dark red, purple, pink, or blue lipstick and heavy eyeliner, and get a magenta stripe in her hair. It just breaks my heart that she knows exactly what that all means and how to do it. I told her no right away, she's too young...but I should've just asked her _why_. I'm worried it could trigger her, too. She insists that she's already developed and taller than a lot of elementary schoolers...she even wanted a training bra! I could not fathom it...I didn't wear one until I was fourteen, and makeup and dyeing my hair didn't happen until high school. She shouldn't be forcing herself to grow up so fast. She was the youngest there. I wonder how many more of them were lied to about their ages..."

"Yeah, you gotta have a serious talk with her about that. She just got into the double digits last summer!" Gloria looked and sounded alarmed as she put her hand on her chest. Diane and Juliana seemed to be equally worried.

Theresa pursed her lips and nodded. "I definitely will."

"Alex is tall for her age, too," Diane told them. "Looks fuckin' sixteen years old from far away or if she's wearing eyeliner and red lipstick. She plays with my makeup, but she's really good. I know it's different because she's thirteen and that's normal for middle school girls, but if she was ten...I doubt she'd be interested, and I would be relieved."

They called the girls over because Theresa wanted to talk to Marisol about starting school soon. She knew Diane and Juliana wanted to do the same with their daughters.

"Marisol, when would you feel comfortable going to school, like next week, maybe, or not attend until next fall?" Theresa wanted to know.

"That goes for you too, baby," Juliana told Maritza while squeezing her hands.

They both shrugged. "Mama, do I have to?" Marisol whined.

"Well, no, but if you _do_ decide to go, Cat will be there to help you if you need it and you'll see all of Cat's other friends! It'll be fun!" Gloria and Cat nodded in agreement to what Theresa was saying.

"Nooo," Maritza complained. "It's boring!"

"I'm sorry, honey, but it's either that or being homeschooled," Juliana let her know. "You can decide when to go, okay?"

Marisol glanced down at Maritza. "I'll go if you go, chiquita. Don't you wanna see our gals?"

Martiza bounced on the balls of her feet. "You don't remember, Flaca...school is so tedious! You probably know, though, from Taystee being our teacher. I love our friends and everything, but makeup is the only thing I really wanna learn about, and I already have been educated on it."

Marisol put her hands on Maritza's cheeks. "Me too, and I gotta say too, that makeup is one of the best things ever, besides you and Cat, but there's fashion, too! Don't you wanna show off your cute outfits and not have to wear slutty shit or homeless people clothes all the time?"

 _She talks very advanced for her age, more like a high schooler,_ Theresa thought to herself about her daughter. "Oh yeah! That _does_ sound like fun!" Maritza said excitedly, her eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"Allie, how about when I start work, I'll send you to school? Is that a deal?" Diane asked Alex. "Nicky and Daya will be there..."

"Umm...okay," Alex mumbled uncertainly. "I might come on Monday."

"Great! Our school has boys and men in it, but your mommies can set up IEP meetings so you don't have to interact with them at all," Cat tells the girls as she pushes her black glasses up her nose and adjusts her red beanie. "You're in the fifth grade like me, Flaca," Cat informed her.

"You mean I ain't in the same class as Mari?" Marisol asked in panic.

"Nah, Maritza's in seventh. I'll be with you all the time, though, don't worry. I have a group I hang out with, too...Tricia, Mercy, Neri, Grace, Allie, Cal, Brad, Jason, Willie...but the boys are harmless!"

"No offense, Cat, but what's the point of going to school if nobody I suffered with is only there with me at lunch? I'm not in elementary school anyway, I'm eleven...whatever, this is total fuckin' bullshit." Marisol stormed off and Theresa immediately went after her.

* * *

"Quite rough language for a ten-year-old!" Cat shouted in their direction.

"That's 'cause she was raised to believe she was my age," Maritza explained.

"Also...we pretty much grew up in captivity or at least trapped for a year or more," Alex put in. "I completely understand why Flaca's so upset. I would be, too."

"Yeah, ditto," Maritza concurred.

Alex turned to Cat while folding her arms across her chest. "So, go back to what you were saying about the boys and men at our school. How do you know so much about it, anyway?"

"My cousin Karla tells me everything. The principal is a man, but you won't need to talk to him...you can go to his office with another girl in your class, or Karla or Daya or any of their friends."

"Got it," Alex murmured.

"Yeah, and if you're gonna pass a guy in the halls, I'll be the one he accidentally bumps into, I swear. I won't let any dudes touch you, Zaza," Daisy said while resting her elbow on Maritza's shoulder. "You can also walk with me or Galina or Aleida if we're available."

"Kay, thank you, Daisy," Maritza replied softly. "I can do it with you and Aleida." She looked at Juliana. "Why can't you be there, Mama?"

"I don't work at school, baby, but you know what? I'll drop you off and give you a big hug and kiss, and after school, you can stay with Aleida or Galina, because my job doesn't end until around nine or ten."

"What if Aleida and Galina and Daisy are sick on the same day?" Maritza asked Gloria.

"We'll try our best not to have that happen," Gloria responded.

"We have pretty excellent attendance records. If the situation does occur, though, Daya, Karla, Allison, and Shani are nice girls to hang out with. They can protect you as well as we and your mama can," Daisy chimed in. "Especially Karla, 'cause she's older, and kids know not to mess with her. She's short, like five feet, but she kicks ass!"

Cat nodded. "Yep! She's even gonna be a lawyer when she grows up, just like your mommy!" At that, Juliana beamed.

A tiny hint of a smile appeared on Maritza's face. "That's good."

* * *

A while later, they boarded the train and Nicky rested her head on Shani's lap as the slightly taller girl ate her food with a plastic fork. Her other hand was stroking Nicky's hair and rubbing her back in a calming motion. Nicky didn't even flinch that time, because Shani had kept making sure she was okay with it. Feeling just a little more at peace, Nicky closed her eyes until they reached their destination.

It was a nice little shop, from what Nicky could see as she and Shani walked to it. Shani let them both in and Galina looked up right away once they arrived. She was finishing up serving a customer, and then she came out from behind the counter, beaming. "Nicky, Shani, hello! How are you girls? You appear to be somber." The stench of onions wafted off of her and her red hair was in a low pony. She had on a dark green apron over her army green dress.

"Oh...I'm sorry if we're bothering you, Ms. Reznikov," Nicky mumbled. "Shani didn't tell me you were slaving away..."

"Nonsense, dear, Sundays are busy days, but that's why I have my oldest sons and Lida helping me," the older woman told her kindly. She tilted her head towards the three teenagers, two dark-haired boys wearing pants and t-shirts and a blonde girl who had on a black sweater and blue jeans, working the counter. "I'm on my break, but even if I wasn't, I'm the manager and can call my own shots." Galina winked at the girls. At that, Nicky and Shani managed grins. "I'm glad you came...you can try my pirozhkis. They're like a meat pie, but they look like buns on the outside."

"They're yummy!" Shani added.

"Hmm, I dunno...it's-it's not that I don't want to, I do, but I'm on a strict diet for right now. Doctor's orders, because I always throw up after eating just any old meal. Plus, I'm not that hungry." Nicky wrapped her arms around herself and her eyes trailed down the long line of people out the door, most likely families, talking, arguing, and laughing.

"Oh, you poor girl!" Galina exclaimed.

"Yeah...it's a little hard to hear in here. Could we go to the backroom for privacy? I wanna tell you something. It's important. I already let Shani know, and we need your help."

"Maxsim, my youngest, is in the backroom, watching the little girl we babysit. Both the front and exit doors are securely locked, so nobody can get inside and take them when I'm not watching. I could kick the children out, though."

"It's alright," Nicky said dejectedly. "This place is packed anyway. I can't intrude."

"You're not. Come on." Galina gestured for them to follow her into the backroom of her store, so they did. Inside the small area, there was a boy around Nicky's age with light brown hair and a smaller girl with curly blonde hair, who looked to be in elementary school. Maxsim was wearing black jeans and a blue long-sleeved shirt while Tricia was in a cute red dress, white stockings, and black Mary Janes. They were playing Candyland.

"Yay! I win! _Again_!" Tricia cheered as Maxsim rolled his eyes. "Go, me! Oh, yeah! In your _face_ , dude!"

Maxsim groaned. "Jeez, Tricia, you keep bragging, and I won't play the stupid game with you anymore!"

Tricia blew him a raspberry and pointed at him while looking up at Galina. "Your son's being mean to me!"

Galina sighed. "Oh, you kids...Tricia, it's not nice to boast, and Max, you oughta practice that game so you're better next time. Anyway, enough of this silly bickering. Nicky and Shani would like to speak to me alone, so Max, help out your brothers and Lida."

"What about me?" Tricia asked. "I'm too little to see over the counter."

"I know that. You can take orders, sweetheart."

"She can stay, it's fine," Nicky mumbled, throwing a tentative smile towards the girl.

"Who are you? I'm Tricia!"

"Nicky."

Tricia smiled sadly at her. "Oh yeah, you're one of the girls-"

Galina gave her a disapproving stare and shook her head. "Ms. Reznikov, it's cool, everyone knows who I am by now, they've all seen us on the news," Nicky mumbled. "Nice meeting you, Tricia."

"You, too."

"Sorry, we'll be out of your hair," Maxsim told them and pulled Tricia along with him. "Let's go, Trish."

"Nooo," Tricia whined and shoved him away. "Nicky said I could be with them!"

"Ma said for you to take orders," he retorted.

"I want girl time," Tricia insisted.

Maxsim sighed exasperatedly. "Fine, Princess Tricia. We'll ask Vasily, Yuri, or Lida to do it."

Tricia flipped her hair and smirked. "That's right, I _am_ a princess," she said as he left the room. "I missed you, Red!" She hugged Galina around her waist, and the lady returned the gesture and kissed the top of the girl's head.

"Oh, malyshka, you know we can't resist spoiling you," Galina murmured and Tricia giggled. Nicky's heart hurt at how much love was between them, even though they weren't even biologically related. Galina would probably never let Tricia get kidnapped, and she'd wade through lava for the child.

"Yeah, and I love it!"

"I've only been gone for an hour, though!" Galina looked over at Nicky and Shani. "Why don't we all sit down?" As soon as they did, Nicky leaned into Shani. The brunette must've sensed Nicky's distress, as she wrapped her arm around Nicky's shoulders. "Now, what's the matter, Nicky?"

Nicky clasped her hands together in front of her and bowed her head, allowing her hair to form a golden curtain on either side of her face. "I...I need you to call the police...on-on my uncle Pete. He...he was touching me wrong. I didn't know until I rubbed my eyes open and felt him...invading my space. It was so bad...I was crying and I told my mom, but she...she didn't care, or refused to listen...please believe me, Ms. Reznikov, p-please!" she stammered. The waterworks were coming on again and she wailed through gritted teeth. "I-I can't t-take it..." She gasped in and out quickly and held onto Shani through her mini panic attack.

"Oh, baby," Galina murmured. She was at Nicky's side in an instant. "I know you're telling the truth. I will inform the cops right now. What an evil pig fucker!"

"How...how do you...but you don't even have a clue of who I am!" Nicky was astonished, but relieved. She hiccuped and sobbed while Shani embraced her and rocked her from side to side.

"There's no child alive who lies about such things. For your mother not to hear you out, is plain cruel. I'll tell you what. Why don't you hang out with us for today? You can leave whenever you want."

"I guess I'll go home when he's finally fucking captured..." Nicky turned around in Shani's arms, drew her knees up to her chest, and hugged them. Tears streamed down her cheeks and Shani, Tricia, and Galina were just as visibly upset. "Thank you, Ms. Reznikov, again..."

"You're welcome, malyskha."

"What does that mean?" Nicky wanted to know.

Galina was dialing nine-one-one, presumably. "It's just _my girl_ in Russian."

"My stepdaddy molests me, too," Tricia muttered, looking very uncomfortable and shaken. Red looked over at her with a horrified expression on her face. Nicky felt queasy at the smaller blonde girl suffering through the same thing. "I didn't know the word for it until Nicky described what happened to her. That's why I rarely go home, because he's always there and creepily watching me and spanking me, calling me a bad little girl and touching my no-no areas. My mommy thinks I'm just being a drama queen."

Shani put her hand on her heart and closed her eyes, her face pained. "That's awful, Tricia...I deeply apologize you both had to go through that."

"Jesus Christ, there really _is_ no God, because He supposedly makes no mistakes when creating people," Red muttered distastefully. "You poor little girls. You did nothing to deserve this!" Nicky and Tricia both sank into her embrace as she got an officer on the phone.

* * *

"Entiendo que estás enojado, pero no deberías hablar así con tu amiga," Theresa scolded Flaca gently.

 **I understand you're mad, but you shouldn't speak to your friend like that**

"Mamá, tengo once años. Ella tiene que saber eso."

 **Mama, I'm eleven. She's gotta know that.**

 **"** No tu no eres. Tienes diez años Tendrás once años el ocho de agosto. ¡También eres demasiado joven para querer usar maquillaje pesado!"

 **No, you're not. You're ten years old. You'll be eleven on August eighth. You're also way too young to be wanting to wear heavy makeup!**

"Mamá, relájate! ¡Solo quiero ser como un mini Wednesday Addams de _The Addams Family_! Me dijeron que tenía once años, como Mari..."

 **Mama, chill! I just wanna be like a mini Wednesday Addams from** ** _The Addams Family_** **! They told me I was eleven, like Mari...**

"Les mintieron a los dos. Tienes diez y Maritza doce."

 **They lied to you both. You're ten and Maritza's twelve.**

Flaca sighed dejectedly. "Debería haberlo sabido. Bueno, si voy a cumplir once años, ¿no debería estar en sexto grado?"

 **I should've known. Well, if I'm gonna be eleven soon, shouldn't I be in the sixth grade?**

"Dentro de ocho meses no es _pronto_."

 **Eight months from now is not** ** _soon_** **.**

Flaca crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "Solo he estado en preescolar y jardín de infantes, pero otro cautivo me enseñó la mayor parte de mi educación que estaba en tercer grado cuando fue secuestrado y aprendió más de aquellos que estaban en quinto y sexto grado. ¡Conozco mi mierda, lo prometo! ¡Incluso puedo tomar una clase de educación especial en la escuela! Solo ver a mis compañeros sobrevivientes en el almuerzo, después de la escuela y los fines de semana no funcionará. Necesito verlos veinticuatro y siete, para poder sanar y hacer frente. ¿No quieres que lo supere? Cat no sabrá cómo lidiar con mis ataques de pánico. ¡Las chicas lo entienden totalmente, los amigos mayores de Daya también lo harán, y Red trabaja allí! Gloria lo hizo, pero ya no. Desearía que todavía lo hiciera...¡pero necesito a mis chicas conmigo! No quiero quedarme afuera."

 **I've only been to preschool and kindergarten, but was taught most of my education by another captive who was in third grade when kidnapped and learned more from those who were in fifth and sixth grades. I know my shit, I promise! I can even take a special education class in school! Just seeing my fellow survivors at lunch, after school, and on weekends won't work. I need to see them twenty-four-seven, so I can heal and cope. Don't you want me to get through this? Cat won't know how to deal with my panic attacks. The girls totally get it, Daya's older friends will too, and Red works there! Gloria did, but not anymore. I wish she still did...but I need my girls with me! I don't wanna be left out.**

"Veré qué puedo hacer...pero tu obsesión por usar maquillaje con solo diez años...simplemente no lo apruebo, cariño."

 **I'll see what I can do...but your obsession with wearing makeup at only ten years old...I just don't approve of it, sweetie.**

 **"** Mamá, mira, fui secuestrada a los cinco años, preparándome para ser vendida a la esclavitud sexual que vendría cuando cumpliera trece años. Afortunadamente, fui rescatado antes de eso. Uno de los secuestradores era una dama y me enseñó todo sobre el maquillaje y el cabello y cómo lucir bella. Me lo tomé completamente en serio y ella me trató muy bien. ¡Estoy totalmente cómoda en maquillaje con mi cabello alisado! ¡Me siento tan bonita! Don't say shit about me attracting the wrong people, 'cause it would be _their_ fault, not mine."

 **Mama, look, I was kidnapped at age five, preparing for being sold to sex slavery which would come when I turned thirteen. Thankfully, I was rescued before that. One of the kidnappers was a lady and taught me everything about makeup and hair and how to look beautiful. I took it completely to heart and she treated me real nice. I am totally comfortable in makeup with my hair straightened! I feel so pretty!**

"No lo necesitas, bebé...¡eres adorable tal como eres! ¡Se equivocó al obligarlas a maquillarse! ¡Sois niñas pequeñas!"

 **You don't need it, baby...you're lovely just the way you are! She was wrong to force you girls into makeup! You're little girls!**

"Por favor, mami, ¡quiero usarlo! ¡Por favor!" Flaca begged. She choked up and whimpered as tears leaked out of her eyes. "It's my choice..." she whispered and then sniffled while putting her hands together in prayer motion. "Mine...nobody else's."

 **Please, Mommy, I wanna wear it! Please!**

Theresa blew out a huge breath. "Okay, fine...quiero que estés lo más cómodo posible y que no te diga demasiado, ya que no has tenido el poder de tus propias decisiones durante tanto tiempo. Hiciste un buen punto. Puedes ser mi niña gótica."

 **I want you to be as comfortable as possible and not tell you** ** _no_** **too much since you haven't had the power of your own choices for so long. You made a good point. You can be my baby goth girl.**

Flaca threw her arms around her mother as elation filled her entire being. "Thank you, Mama! Thank you so much!"

"You're very welcome, sweetheart," Theresa said, returning the hug.

"Cat, we should get our mommies to play with us in the snow!" Flaca said excitedly as she ran back to them with Theresa behind her. She was happier than ever. The girls giggled while pulling their moms up off the porch steps and they finished making their snow woman. They put Cat's black scarf on her head for hair and then Flaca declared, "Mama, look! That's you!"

"Aw," Gloria said with a laugh and everyone grinned happily.

"That's adorable!" Theresa gushed and wrapped her arms around Flaca.

* * *

After she'd changed into a clean pair of underpants and a new outfit and Karla's sweats were in the wash, Blanca sat on the couch while holding a bag of ice over half her face. She was reading a book called _How to Win Friends and Influence People_ by Dale Carnegie, when a frantic knocking sounded at the door. "¡Lo conseguiré!" Trina called out.

 **I'll get it!**

"How the hell am I still alive?" Alex wondered aloud as she, Flaca, and Maritza all burst into the room where Blanca was resting with her book. She put it down and stared at the girls quizzically. "I mean, do you even know how old you are? I just found out today that I'm thirteen instead of twelve, Flaca's fucking ten, and Maritza is twelve and not eleven! I never got sold, even though I was at the age!"

"What...well, they're assholes, of _course_ they lied to some of us!" Blanca grumbled. "They got off on scaring us, as we all remember. I _thought_ I was twelve, but...Mami!"

Trina appeared with Diane. "Yeah, baby?"

"¿Qué edad tengo?"

 **How old am I?**

"Trece años."

"Thirteen years old," Blanca repeated in English, feeling shock and relief washing over her at once. "I guess not taking a shower and refusing to be groomed when I was told to really _did_ work." She would've rather have been beaten for disobeying than raped every day of her life and taken away from her friends. The girls gasped. "Y cuando es mi cumpleaños?"

"November twelfth is your birthday."

"Oh, wow! So they grew me up and grew you, Mari, and Alex down," Flaca muttered.

"I got no idea why," Maritza mumbled.

"Maybe they didn't know our true ages so they guessed?" Blanca asked. "They were right on the rest of the other girls'..."

"As far as we know. This is so weird, because they didn't usually take two girls to the same master in one year...but they apparently got me and you, Blanca, when we were _both_ four and Flaca right before Maritza, since you're two years apart," Alex pointed out and then hugged her mom, who returned the gesture.

Blanca wrapped her arms around herself and a shiver came over her. "May...maybe our dictator didn't have all the plans laid out yet. We were his first two captives. However, with Flaritza, I don't understand." At their nickname, they beamed. Blanca knew that cheered them up, no matter what their moods were. They'd been combining their names ever since the party last night, declaring themselves the ultimate best friends.

"Yo, even though I'm only ten, I'mma still go to middle school with y'all! I'll be in sixth grade...I convinced Mami," Flaca announced. "We're all getting special accommodations, I heard!"

At all that information, Blanca perked up a little more. She grinned. "Yay!"

"That's right, Diane just told me," Trina said as she joined Blanca on the couch. "Flaca, Maritza, where are your mothers?"

"They're having a double date with their boyfriends," Maritza informed her.

" _Ooooh_!" Alex exclaimed teasingly, but then rolled her eyes. "That's how Christina says it when her mommy and Leon or Auntie Gloria and her fiancé kiss."

"Eeewww, I hope they don't catch cooties," Blanca muttered and everyone chuckled.

"No, they're nice men," Diane assured her.

"Ha!" Blanca retorted. "Good one, but ya can't fool me!"

"Yeah, we don't know what goes on when we're not around 'em, Mama," Alex chimed in. She put her hands on her hips and frowned. "At least the ladies are together all the time."

"Mm-hm," Blanca agreed. "Safety in numbers."

Trina smiled at her, but she looked sad. "That's right, sweetheart."

* * *

Gloria had to go to the club late that night. Fahri, Leon, and Charles were having a guys' evening out while Aleida and Lourdes stayed at home with the children, so it was only Diane who came with her to have a drink. When Gloria was closing up, her phone rang, so she answered it.

"Hello?"

There were a few deep breaths and then the person hung up.

"Who was that?" Diane asked.

Gloria rolled her eyes. "Prank call."

"How annoying...at least your club is awesome!"

"Hell yeah, it is!" Gloria agreed proudly. "Let's go home."

They put their arms around each other and headed towards the car. They heard strange noises and the trees cast shadows on the empty parking lot, but they assumed it was just their imagination trying to run wild. They got into Gloria's Jeep and started the drive back to the mansion. They played loud music, sang along to the lyrics, and laughed with each other. Gloria finally had her best friend with her again, and it seemed like Diane was having fun. All they had to do was keep each other and the children free from harm.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, VeraRose19 and the guest!**


	11. They're Not Alone

**I wanted to post this in honor of Laura Gómez's birthday today! Picture Karla like Karina Arroyave in 187 ;) Great movie, btw!**

 **Maravilloso-wonderful**

Frieda set up an IEP conference that night for Monday morning and invited the survivors' mothers and Susan Fischer, of course, along with the sweetest female teachers she knew besides herself. At first, all the girls except Lorna and Alana would need to be in a special day class for their academic courses. They'd be taking Physical Education with the typically developing students, since there were no skills needed besides the basics. She discussed this with the survivors and their moms and guardians so she could make sure they were okay with it. Alana and Lorna had integrated back into their original classes just fine and they weren't behind students in their grade. They didn't need to catch up.

* * *

Trina got a phone call from Mirna Flores, who asked her if she could visit because she heard that her niece had been found. She wanted to see Blanca as soon as possible, but only if the girl was okay with her coming.

"Princesa,¿te acuerdas de tu Tía Mirna?" Trina asked.

 **do you remember your**

"Oh yeah, she always gave me dessert before dinner and chocolate chip and banana pancakes and she got me the best presents!" Blanca remembered.

"She's going to see us, if you want her to...otherwise you're coming with me to a super boring meeting."

"Okay!" Blanca said excitedly. "I wanna be with Tía."

" _Maravilloso_ , _porque_ she's gonna babysit you while I'm at the meeting with the other ladies. I'll tell her!"

* * *

"¿A dónde diablos vas a estas horas de la noche?" Blanca heard her mom ask her dad in an angry tone.

 **Where the hell are you going at this time of night?**

"No soporto que mi hija no me hable o me abrace y bese buenas noches," he complained. Blanca was flooded with guilt about that, but she just didn't feel comfortable being around guys, even her own father.

 **I can't stand to have my daughter not talking to me or giving me a hug and kiss goodnight.**

"¡Sabes por qué ella no hace esas cosas!" Trina hisses. "¡Tiene miedo de los niños y los hombres, incluso si son inofensivos!"

 **You know why she doesn't do those things! She's scared around boys and men, even if they're harmless!**

"Ella me conoce, soy su padre!" Chad yelled. "Sin embargo, ella está actuando como si fuera un extraño ... me duele verla así. Ella te necesita. Ella no me necesita. Los dos ni siquiera nos llevamos bien. Regreso a mi departamento. Adiós." He finished the argument with a slam of the door and Blanca snuggled further into her covers. She had no idea when she'd ever see him again. At the same time, she didn't care.

 **She knows me, I'm her father! Yet, she's acting like I'm some stranger...it hurts me to see her like this. She needs you. She doesn't need me. The two of us don't even get along. I'm heading back to my apartment. Goodbye.**

* * *

Allison and Hassan slung their arms around each other and Hassan held Allison close while rubbing her shoulder as they walked together. "So, tell me, what should I get the girls for tonight's gathering?" he asked.

"Something pretty and bright, definitely...a jewelry making kit...or the movies, _Sound of Music_ , _High School Musical_ , or the _Cheetah Girls_ series. I heard Taystee loves singing and dancing along to songs in movies she watches and those are cheerful films. I'm getting her _The Wiz_ and some _Harry Potter_ books. Lorna is the only one I know really well, so I know exactly what she likes...I'll give her _West Side Story_ or _Notting Hill_."

"Do you think I could get them journals?"

"Yeah, but the girls probably want them to have pink covers with flowers."

"Oh, okay, thanks for the ideas!"

"You're welcome!"

They soon met up with a bunch of the other girls and guys. Poussey was beaming. "What's up, P?" Allison wanted to know.

"Franzi and I kissed on the bus this morning. It just sorta happened," Poussey told her friends.

"Really?" Diablo asked, intrigued. Zirconia quirked up a brow while resting her elbow on Diablo's shoulder.

Janae whistled. "Way to go!"

"Mazel tov!" Cindy added.

Lorna squealed. "I totally saw this coming!"

"Yeah, you girls _have_ been spending lots of time together!" Karla chimed in.

"Plus, you knew each other well from Germany," Shani pointed out.

"What was it like?" Alana wondered out loud.

Nicky beamed. "Probably amazing!" she exclaimed. "That's how it was when me and Alex locked lips."

"It was! Franzi said it was so much better than kissing Zinger's dry lips back in Germany, that's for sure," Poussey said shyly. "Her parents aren't here yet, but mine will be back soon, and the first thing I'll tell them is that I'm a lesbian. I won't say it right away...but I've got lotsa time to think of how to word it. They're accepting, so coming out to them will be easy. However, for Franzi...her dad's so conservative, and I dunno if her mom will accept her. I hope so."

"We'll be there for you both, P," Daya said.

"We're real happy for you!" Adarsh said while gesturing toward himself and the group.

Poussey grinned at them. "Thanks!"

* * *

Mirna arrived at around eleven, just before Trina had to go. "Hi, darling," the older lady greeted her with a hug. "I wanted to be well rested and not have to sleep right when I got here! Where's that kid?"

"¡Tía Mirna!" Blanca shouted, running up and hugging her. "Did you bring me a present, a dolly, perhaps?"

Trina and Mirna chuckled at Blanca's enthusiasm. "I sure did, sweetheart! Here you go!" Mirna pulled a Josefina doll, from the American Girl collection, out of her suitcase. "Ella se parece a ti."

 **She looks just like you.**

Blanca took it from her and held it close to her chest. "What do you say when someone does something nice for you?" Trina asked.

"¡Gracias, Tía! I love her! I'll name her Señora Lala. That's Señor Lala's wife. He thinks she's very pretty." She skipped away with the doll happily while Trina and Mirna burst out laughing over Blanca's reference to her imaginary friend from when she was little.

* * *

Frieda, Diane, Trina, Juliana, Theresa, Susan, Robin Tendler, and Emily Gerrman sat at a circle table in Equality Charter School with Ms. McCollough, the gym instructor, Ms. Holmes, the special education teacher, Ms. Figueroa, the vice principal, and Mr. Caputo, the school director, while Blanca was at home with her aunt. The other survivors except for Nicky, were not at school just yet either. Each mother and guardian spoke about one accommodation to the next, without missing a beat. They all warned Mr. Caputo that the survivors were afraid of men and that men need to make them feel more comfortable by not yelling, just talking calmly, and a girl or female teacher had to go down to the principal's office with them and hold their hand.

By the end, everyone had a sheet of paper with a list of things they needed to follow.

 _1\. Absolutely no male teachers, period!_

 _2\. They can leave the classroom if they need to and not have to answer why they're leaving._

 _3\. Have them sit between girls, two on either side, and in two in front and behind. Preferably around each other in all classes._

 _4\. Large print for Alex because she has low vision because of so many black eyes over the years. All the girls do, but Alex is also visually impaired from birth._

 _5\. If any of the girls are having a panic attack, don't touch them, just let them go through it and try not to trigger them by reading about sexual abuse or rape in books. If you come to a part about that, you should just ask students to read it to themselves and continue reading it out loud when the part stops._

 _6\. They can't read books with sexual violence, at home, mom or guardian will read them something else on the best sellers list that they can understand and they will hand in a report on that._

 _7\. They're also triggered by loud noises, so warn us when there's going to be a drill (they won't understand that it's just a drill) and they can walk to the nearby park where you don't hear the noise._

 _8\. Even if you're mad at a student, they'll think you're mad at them, so take the student outside and do whatever you need to do, and if you're mad at a lot of students in the class, you can ask our girls to leave the room because you're going to give a lecture about the behavior issues and none of it pertains to our girls._

 _9\. Don't ask them to read something or reply to a question because they might space out and they don't talk much except with each other, and they hate surprises._

 _10\. Let them raise their hands if they have something to say. If you're not sure if any of them understood, go up to whoever you think didn't get it, and ask privately, she will nod her head yes or shake her head no and explain to her briefly in simplistic language what you were talking about._

 _11\. They will use their phones to text what they want to say sometimes._

 _12\. They should work independently or with each other, but if you really need everyone to have a partner they don't know well or work in a group without their friends, have them with girls who don't mess around and who would be a good example for them to follow._

 _13\. If you don't assign groups, put them together and if you need more people in the group, put another girl in who also doesn't have anybody and if there's nobody available, they can work alone._

 _14\. If you're doing oral reports, they don't have to talk if they don't want to, don't try to force them or threaten with taking points off their grades for not participating. You can try coaxing, but if that doesn't work, we would rather you read what they've written and we will read aloud at home to make sure it's long enough._

 _15\. They should be in the back because they don't want too much attention._

 _16\. In PE, if you're doing sports, they can do some laps around the track or get swimming lessons from a friend in their class, because if someone accidentally hits them with a ball, they will freak out and say the person did it on purpose, besides, they don't have good hand-eye coordination._

 _17\. Besides Maria and Michelle, the girls can't swim very well, only in shallow water._

 _18\. If you're doing a timed mile just tell them to do the best they can, it's okay if they're not as fast as everyone else and they can walk without being called "lazy"._

 _19\. Keep assuring our girls that if you yell at your students for being lazy, that all they need to do is their best, and you know they aren't lazy, you can suggest power walks if they're not too tired and could go a little faster than walking, but not run._

 _20\. They can play one on one basketball in a separate gym with a friend._

The staff all seemed to understand and then, the moms and guardians got phones for their girls.

* * *

Blanca was at the park with Mirna after eating her lunch. Her aunt was pushing her on the swings.

"Tía, ¿por qué mi papá no me ama? He's your brother, but you're my favorite tía and you're nice, so why did he storm out our house?"

 **why does my daddy not love me**

Mirna paused the swing and knelt down next to her. She tucked a strand of Blanca's hair behind her ear. "Oh, bebè, ever since he could walk and talk, he's been doing the opposite of what our mama tells him to do. I sometimes wish I was your mama's sister because I'm so embarrassed of my brother and how he hired that lousy babysitter and let my beautiful niece get kidnapped."

"Whatever...who needs daddies anyway? My mommy is plenty and you're a bonus!"

"That's right!"

When they got home, Blanca went to the bathroom and then when she heard her mom come home, she hid behind the door. Both Trina and Mirna were calling out for her, but she didn't make a sound. When Mirna got closer to her and saw her, her mother breathed a sigh of relief. Blanca exclaimed joyfully, "You found me! Whoohoo!" To her dismay, Trina and Mirna didn't look amused.

"That is not funny, Blanca! You just about gave me a heart attack! I thought you were kidnapped again and so did your tía! Don't play that game, baby, unless you tell me you're going to and you ask if I want to play," Trina scolded her gently.

"Okay, lo siento, Mamá, lo siento, Tía!" she said sheepishly.

"I forgive you," Mirna responded.

"Me, too," Trina put in.

* * *

Joy had been distant lately, and Yuri wasn't sure what he was doing wrong.

"Hey, man, what's going on?" Maxsim asked. "You've been moping around our room for the last hour. School's out, time to relax!"

"Girls...they can be so confusing. I don't think Joy wants to be with me anymore. She's not affectionate, even in private. We're about to do it last night and I pull out a condom, but she says no to sex. That's fine, but then, she sends me home. Her parents were busy with her sister and all I wanted to do was lay in bed with her. Am I _that_ disgusting?"

"You were when I first saw you digging through the trash at school," Diablo teased him.

Yuri threw a pillow at his younger friend. "Dude!"

"Okay, maybe you should just ask her straight out...call her up and ask her if she's still into you," Vasily advised Yuri.

"I'm afraid of the answer," Yuri admitted.

"It's less painful if you don't get strung along," Maxsim told him.

Yuri took a deep breath and dialed his girlfriend's number. She picked up on the second ring. "Hi, there."

"Hey, babe." He swallowed hard. "So, how do you feel about us?"

"Wow, that's a random conversation starter. I'm at the mall and I have bad reception. How about we have this discussion in person? I'll come home on the bus."

"Yes, please do."

"Okay, bye, see you soon."

They met on a bench in the park thirty minutes later. Yuri could barely look at Joy when he said, "It feels like you're pushing me away, and I don't know why."

"Yuri, I'm not sure how to say this. You're a wonderful person...but I've been dreaming of girls lately. I...I think I might be bisexual. I have a thing for this certain girl...and even if she doesn't want to try a relationship with me, I want to explore my sexuality. This has nothing to do with you at all. I'm so sorry."

His heart dropped and he wanted to cry. Joy looked so guilty. "At least I didn't hurt you."

"No, you were such a great guy...you still are. You'll make a girl so giddy that she won't want to ever let you go."

"How come you didn't just tell me this?"

"It's hard! I've been going back and forth for such a long time now, do I really want to have sex with a girl or do I just admire their beauty? I haven't even come out as bisexual to my family yet. I don't even know if I like girls as well as boys. I had a thing with Franny Morello once, but we didn't work out because she decided she was straight. I kinda wanna try with other chicks. I think you and I should just take a break and see other people. Maybe we'll get back together someday, but who knows? It's just...I don't deserve you. We're still friends, don't worry."

"Sure." They hugged each other, but not for too long. "I can pretend to be your boyfriend to throw your family off."

"You don't need to. I'll just tell them we broke up. I'll come out if I get a girlfriend."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck."

"You, too."

* * *

Joy knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on her schoolwork after splitting up with Yuri, so she stayed at the park in silence to think, long after he went home. She wasn't sure if she did the right thing or if she made the biggest mistake of her life.

"Okay, Joy Hayes, you know I love you, but what were you thinking when you dumped Yuri?" Franny exploded as she went up to her bestie in the park.

"Besides me, you had the best boyfriend out of all of us!" Lida chimed in.

"Don't make me feel worse than I already do," Joy grumbled.

"Do you wanna talk about what happened?" Karla wanted to know.

"I told you not to date that goody-two-shoes grimy mess of a boy!" Stella exclaimed. "He's boring and claustrophobic, isn't he?"

"Stella!" everyone shouted in unison.

"I dare you to say that to Galina's face," Susan told her.

"Don't be rude," Joy muttered. "You girls gotta have an open mind to what I'm about to say, otherwise you'll never understand." She kicked at a chunk of ice on the pavement and clasped her hands together to stop them from trembling with nerves. "I couldn't be with Yuri because I was constantly thinking about experimenting with girls again after you, Franny. I'm bisexual." Slowly, she lifted her gaze to her friends' reactions. At first, they just gaped at her, but then Karla, Franny, Lida, Tamika, and Susan grinned a bit. Stella raised her eyebrows in disbelief while sitting down next to Joyce.

"You are? You don't sound so sure about that," Tamika murmured.

"We support you, Joy, you know that," Karla said.

"That's a shock! I never expected you to like girls," Stella commented.

"Well, I don't really want to make that official until I know for sure. Like...am I admiring their beauty or do I want to feel the good china and boobs? I've only dated one girl out of millions, _one_. I don't know, and that really scares me. I hope I didn't get rid of him for nothing."

"It sounds like you want to see if you're seriously into girls as well as boys. Did you tell him what you told us?" Susan asked.

"I did. He was heartbroken, but he understood."

"If you cheated on him with another woman, even just to try stuff out, you'd be a slut. Good for you, now you'll find out what you want without betraying his trust," Stella said.

"What if it doesn't work for me or the other girl...and I want him back?"

"Joy, that's how relationships are sometimes. It would be the same if it was another guy you're thinking of," Franny told her.

"That's cool, I guess. Thank you for accepting me."

"No problem!" Lida said.

* * *

"I am going to go ahead and say it, because it's killing me to see us like this," Alex began as she twiddled her thumbs. She and Nicky were sitting in the backroom of Red's store, their backs pressed up against the wall. "You've been distant lately, and so have I. Sure, we've reunited and hugged...but we didn't kiss. I forgot about it, and so did you, I guess."

"Yeah...do you wanna do that now, or? I'm sorry..." Nicky mumbled sheepishly. What Alex had said, sparked guilt inside of her. She didn't feel the need to touch Alex in a romantic way anymore. Seeing more girls outside of their prison made her realize there was a whole world out there that she'd been missing.

"You don't have to, it's okay. I can tell, um...do you think we might have only been together because we were the only two lesbians kidnapped?" Alex wondered aloud.

"Maybe. I mean, we were fuckin' nine years old...honestly, you feel more like my sister than my girlfriend," Nicky responded. "Still connected for life, but not in love, ya know?"

Alex sighed and squeezed Nicky's hand. "Ditto. So...how about we stay close friends, but that's it?"

"Okay. That's fine with me. Besties, then, are you sure?"

"Yes. Forever. Until the day we die." Alex wiped her eyes under her glasses. "I promise I won't leave you."

Nicky ran her hand through her messy blonde hair. "I'm not going to either."

"Alright." They hugged and Nicky felt a sense of relief washing through her. She knew Alex did, too.

* * *

Tamika and Joy had only made out once after Joy ended things with Yuri, and since then, they hadn't really talked about it because of everything going on with the girls. Of course, that wasn't any of the girls' faults, but Joy was starting to worry that Tamika might have considered it a five second fling.

"Hey...what are we?" she asked Tamika as they strolled to Storky's together after Joy's shift at Starbucks. "I know that Taystee has been on your mind lately and you have a special friendship with her, but are we never going to mention our first kiss, the many that came after for about an hour, and the hair and cheek stroking in bed?"

"I like you a lot, Joy, but I can't randomly kiss you or even hold your hand in public unless we're both terrified of something...we just have to come out as bisexual first, that is, if you want to. I'm so done with secret romances."

"Should we tell Yuri that we locked lips, or would that just rub salt in the wound, since you're like his sister and all?" Joy asked.

"It might, but it's better to do it sooner than later," Tamika replied.

"This is seriously the worst time for your ma to go on a business trip and Galina to take you in, after what I've just done to her son," Joy told Tamika. "Would you feel more comfortable staying with Taystee or our other friends? Galina would understand..."

"Nah, it'll be cool. He's the first person who should find out, anyway. It's not every day that your ex-girlfriend breaks up with you for your best female friend who's like a sister. Are you certain you want us to be girlfriends? I'm ready if you are."

"Poussey still hasn't come out to her parents, so I'd rather wait and see how she does and be inspired." Joy twirled some of her dreadlocks around her fingers. "We can at least let Yuri and the other girls know...and then later, tell our parents together...when they're all sitting on one of our living room couches, preferably yours, because Yuri doesn't need to hear it again and his brothers would just find out somehow."

"Oh, that sounds good!" Tamika said eagerly. "I just hope Galina doesn't salt my food or something."

Joy scoffed. "I doubt it. It ain't _your_ fault I fell in love with you, and it ain't mine, either. I can't wait to see how my perfect family reacts to us being a bi couple!" The sarcasm was clear in Joy's tone. "I know yours would be fine with it, so if mine have a problem, can I stay with you for a while until they calm down?"

"Sure, but you have no idea what's gonna happen! They could surprise you."

Joy doubted that, because her reverend father had her mother keep quiet about having a pregnancy scare in high school so they wouldn't have a so-called scandal in the family. Cindy's friend Martin had also been incarcerated. If Joy even uttered the word _bisexual_ , it would push the overly religious Lucas Hayes over the edge. Lillian and Cindy took their sweet old time to get used to new things, but Joy's father was a whole other story. He was unmanageable with his constant yelling about saying Grace before eating and quoting the Bible word for word every time the Hayes girls, mainly Cindy, screwed up. It was no wonder that Cindy wanted to convert to Judasim so badly. Joy was considering it, too, even if their father was nicer to her and their two brothers.

"Easy for you to say, you've got Josie Ward for a mom, and you guys live like free spirits! My dad would probably pay me ten bucks to shut up and pretend I never said anything and my mother and siblings would just say to listen to him so I don't cause a fight. He'd also say I sinned and that my promised land is a burning pile of brimstone and salt or shit like that and force me to say _Amen_." Joy rolled her eyes. "Your mom doesn't brush feelings like that under the rug, and neither does Neicey. How do you think your dad would react?"

"I don't care what he says. I haven't since I caught him with that skank last year. Besides, I don't regularly live with him, so even if he doesn't approve, I don't need to listen to him when I ain't not at his house. Mom will get on his ass about it."

Joy looked around to see if anyone was walking by them. When it appeared that nobody really was, she held Tamika's hands and gave the smaller, curly-haired girl a peck on the lips. It turned into her pulling Tamika's bottom lip in between her teeth and sucking on it gently. "You know how much I love it when you swear?" she asked while running her hands through Tamika's smooth hair.

Tamika giggled. "No!"

"Well, I do. It sounds so hot!"

Tamika smiled so hard she was blushing. "I never realized how much I wanted to do this again until now."

"Same here."

* * *

"So, my dad left me and my mom," Blanca announced at White Castle as she and the girls ate burgers and fries for an early dinner. Gloria and Diane were nearby. "They were fighting a lot...I could tell they tried to be civil for my sake, but it wasn't working." Just as she reported that, she noticed Diablo coming in with Zirconia. Michelle, Ouija, and Pidge were behind them. Diablo had his hands in his pockets and he and Zirconia were linking arms as they went to another table. They didn't look all that happy with each other, and Diablo appeared to be dejected, the way he shuffled his feet while walking and stared at the floor. It made him look less scary in a way, but Blanca still didn't particularly want him at the fast-food joint. She just chose to focus her attention on her friends. Diablo's presence was just so large, though. At the same time, Gloria and Diane were right there in case anything were to happen.

"Aw, that's too bad," Karla told her sympathetically and squeezed her hand. Ouija, Pidge, and Michelle joined them.

"Holy shit, B, really?" Ouija tsked and shook her head. "Dumbass."

"What a useless fucker." Allison muttered.

Blanca shrugged. "Yeah, but it doesn't matter. He felt like he wasn't gonna get anywhere with me...like I didn't accept any form of fatherly affection from him because I'm just too afraid, even though I know he won't hurt me...Mama was more upset than I was. Apparently, they were a team while I was missing."

Daya was going to town on her Crave Case, but she took a second to glance up at Blanca with a sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I am, too," Maritza piped up.

"Same," Nicky and Shani agreed at the same time.

"Mm-hm, that totally sucks!" Flaca concurred.

"It does, but what can anybody do about it?" Blanca asked rhetorically. "Nothin'. I just wanted to let you girls know, so y'all don't feel alone in not having a father when you were rescued."

"Thanks, but most of us don't even want one anyway!" Alex stated.

"Lousy Les and Lee the Loser can go die," Nicky muttered, and Alex quirked a smile. "So should Materialistic Marka, but that is a story for another day."

"Nice alliteration," Shani commented and Nicky grinned proudly. "My birth parents are pretty terrible, too."

"Relatable," Taystee grumbled. "You so lucky, P."

Poussey rubbed Taystee's back with a sad smile. "I'm thankful to have 'em. Hell, I wish they adopted you, T!"

"Me, too. At least I got Ms. Tendler and Jamaris."

Maria pursed her lips. "I'm glad my dad came home. He doesn't trust himself around me, though...he doesn't want to be responsible for losing me again, so my mom has custody. I'm starting to hate him now..."

"Oh, but that's sweet of you to think of us, Blanca," Alana murmured and the girls beamed at Blanca. "I wish mine was still alive..."

"I have a father...and I honestly didn't miss him much. All he does is watch television and tell me and Franny and Mikey to shut up because he can't hear his program over us chattering. He and my mother are thinking about a divorce, but they gotta live together because we don't have a lot of money. One sleeps on the couch while the other has the bed. It's usually Ma in the bed, 'cause Dad falls asleep on the couch," Lorna informed them. "We used to be a big, happy family, but now our parents butt heads...but it doesn't matter, I'm just happy to be home. When I was taken, I even missed the commotion from both of 'em squabbling."

"That's hella interesting. Ya know somethin' else...we found my real mom and dad," Pidge said. "That lady who was watching over us for the last few days, she researched mine and Ouija's real names, Ramona Contreras and Carmen Aziza, and somehow, she discovered where my parents and Ouija's ma lived. So, the amazing part was that I got a sister and they let Ouija and Michelle stay with our fam! Everyone was fuckin' overjoyed!"

"Wow, that's great!" Maria exclaimed, and the others nodded in agreement.

"It is. You wanna know somethin' funny, though? Ramona's _mamá_ smacks her _papá_ across the face to wake him up, and he doesn't hit her in retaliation! He takes it like a man!" Michelle shared. "It doesn't hurt him, though, don't worry."

Pidge grinned and she and Ouija cracked up, along with the others.

Blanca's gaze drifted to where Gloria was standing up and hugging Diablo. "Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't know he was gonna show up with Zirconia. I heard they've been on the outs lately," Daya whispered. "Like on and off, but he wants to break up with her mostly."

"It's okay. Are he and Gloria real tight or something?"

Karla nodded. "Yeah, and she doesn't like Zirconia for him at all. She's protective of him, like a mom or aunt figure."

"Oh, I see."

"Yo, I got a new job at Storky's, everybody!" Taystee declared. "I almost forgot to tell y'all. My co-worker Tamika introduced me to Mr. Wayne and then he gave me the position on the spot! It was probably a sympathy hire, but whatever! Your girl's makin' some _monaaaay_!"

"Whoohoo! Congratulations, T!" Poussey started cheering and clapping and the rest of them joined in, including Gloria, Diane, and even Zirconia. Diablo shot her a thumbs-up, which was shocking, because Blanca never expected him, a guy, to care about any of the girls.

"Yay!" Allison said pleasantly.

Taystee got out of her seat and did one of her famous twirls, and Blanca felt just as content.

* * *

Tamika was a nervous wreck as she went into Yuri's room after work while Vasily was at rugby practice and Maxsim, Tricia, and Galina were at the Russian market. She wrung her hands together and cleared her throat. He looked up from his video game and put it on pause.

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah, have a seat." He gestured to his messy bed and Tamika found a spot to sit down. She moved a pair of Yuri's jeans out from under her feet.

"You better not have a random piece of pizza under your pillow or something," she said jokingly, to lighten the tension.

"Nah, I know not to eat in here."

"So...um...Joy wanted to tell you this, but as your sista from another mistah, it would be better if I did." She twiddled her thumbs.

"What are you trying to get at?"

"Yuri, she and I are a couple," Tamika mumbled.

The video game console slipped out of his hands and he stood up. His face was a mix of shock, confusion, sadness, and anger. "What?" he snapped. "How could she move on while I'm still suffering?"

"We kind of just...got together...about an hour or two after she broke up with you. I'm sorry."

"I can't believe this! You don't date a homie's ex! Or a sibling's. It's just too weird!" He pressed his fingers to his temple. "Oh my god!"

"Would you shut up? I don't want your neighbors to know yet. They could gossip about this to your ma, and then she'll tell mine."

"Oh my god," he repeated with his fist to his mouth. "You two...holy shit...this is so fucked up. You're like my sister."

"I know...that's why I feel bad and I know we should've come to you first...but I lo-"

"No, just please don't say anything else. I can't hear your voice right now," he grumbled, sounding more betrayed now than furious.

"Yuri!" Tamika shouted as he stormed out of the room without a second glance and slammed his door shut behind him. She sighed and saw that she had a new text from Joy.

 _How did it go with Yuri?_

 _Ugh, not good. He was an ass. Can you talk to him?_

 _Of course. I think we should give him a few days to calm down, though._

 _Me, too. It looked like he was going to blow a gasket!_

"What was all that yelling about earlier, and why are you in Yuri's room?" Galina asked.

Tamika jumped in surprise. "I didn't even hear you come home! Where are the others?"

Galina set her fists on her hips. "Never mind them, honey, back to my question..."

"I have no idea what's got him so mad. I just came in here to borrow a blank CD so I can put all my music on it for tonight," Tamika lied. "I guess he didn't wanna share."

"Well...just get one from him and help me set up, finish the cake, and distribute the candy into the goody bags, okay?"

"Sure!"

For the rest of the day, Yuri was snippy at Tamika or just not talking to her. He couldn't even look at her. Galina demanded to know what was going on between them.

"It's nothing," Yuri said. "Don't worry about it."

Galina folded her arms over her chest. "Why the attitude towards Tamika then?"

"Yeah, Yuri, stop being a jerk and get over yourself."

He popped his middle finger up at Tamika and left the room.

* * *

After a half hour of running around their block, Yuri started panting and he covered his face. He could feel himself starting to choke on his own tears. He knew he didn't own Joy. She could go out with whoever she wanted. It just stunned him that she jumped into someone else's arms not even two hours after their split.

He started to wonder if he really was a loser like Stella said he was. He had no real guy friends except Diablo, who he wasn't that close to since Diablo was only fourteen while Yuri was on his way to college, and Vasily and Maxsim were his brothers, so they didn't exactly count. He couldn't communicate with Tamika, since she was with his ex. Lida, Karla, Franny, and Susan were nice enough, but they have a strong connection with those survivors and they'd be on Joy and Tamika's sides. He barely knew Joel. He had nobody in his corner at the moment besides his mother and Tricia. It was just that he didn't want to let them know that Tamika was with Joy romantically. He wasn't going to go behind Tamika's back, regardless of how he felt towards her. They'd known each other since she was in kindergarten and he was in the second grade. Maxsim had never had a girlfriend, so he wouldn't know how to deal with this. Vasily would just tease Yuri and brag about how Lida always came back to him, no matter what happened between them. Diablo might understand, but Yuri just thought of him as a little punk kid. The only thing was, Yuri couldn't bring himself to say that Joy had a new important person in her life.

He then decided to text Karla. They used to be best friends with benefits before he got with Joy, and he felt like kissing her again and hopefully going further if she wanted to. He needed some affection, whether it be romantic or sexual. _Hey, you still with the younger girls? I'm sure Joy's told you she split up with me._

 _Yeah I am, and she did...I feel bad for you, dude. She can't help who she wants to be with, but I know it must sting._

 _Let's meet up at your place. I know your mom won't be home for a while. I'm feeling hella lonely. You don't have a boyfriend yet, right?_

 _Yeah, that's fine. I'm single as a Pringle. See ya there!_ She then sent him a smiley face and he beamed while jumping into his car and driving off to her house.

Once he arrived, they hugged and headed upstairs to her bedroom while holding hands. He didn't realize how badly he needed to get laid until he actually saw her in person, alone. They didn't even look into each other's eyes as they started making out passionately while bumping into the walls. His hands threaded through her hair and then she jumped on him, her legs straddling his waist and her arms looped around his neck. Their first smooch had just been a peck as part of a game of Spin the Bottle at Lida's fifteenth birthday part last year, but then they began really going at it. The heat they were emanating had melted the room, practically. Now, there was urgency in every touch, they were undressing like it was a race, rediscovering each other's bodies with feverish hands, holding another bruisingly tight, and panting in each other's mouths.

As he climbed on top of Karla, she started laughing. "Ay, what are we doing?!" she asked, her soft, sultry voice breathless and sexy. "We gotta go to the party soon!" Her smoldering gaze trailed from his face to his cock, but then she appeared to be panicked. He groaned, because he was so close to tasting her wet pussy and fondling her breasts at the same time, which he knew she loved. Their height difference of literally one foot, turned them both on immensely as well. "Shit, and you didn't even bring protection?! _Yuri_..."

Yuri looked at their clothes strewn all over the floor and then at Karla's naked body under him. She was so beautiful and hot, and he wondered why he never bothered to ask her out before. He winced at his blue balls. "Fuck," he sighed. "Yeah, you're right...and Mama's gonna kill me if I'm late and get you pregnant or either of those."

"I just wanted to make you feel better for like, five minutes and get a good orgasm in myself...but I didn't realize the time, or that you didn't have a condom."

They started putting their clothes back on. "Would you still wanna do it another time?" Yuri asked as he yanked his jeans up and zippered them. "I'll make sure we're more ready..."

Karla winked at him while slipping into her lacy dark red bra and tight black flowy dress. She slapped his ass with the back of her hand and his dick strained against his pants. "Hell yeah. You better, because if I'm knocked up, you'll be on the wild ride of parenthood with me. I love kids, but just not right now, ya feel me?"

He nodded. "I'm with you there."

In her makeup mirror, she reapplied her burgundy lipstick and fixed her hair since it was a tangled mess of curls. "Hope it doesn't look like we were about to do the nasty!" She pulled some of her locks out of her large silver hoop earrings.

Yuri shrugged at her. "Nah, don't worry about it. You're good, and I am too! So...I was thinking I skip the party since I don't know these girls well and they're terrified of men anyway. I get that you're close to them already and everything."

"I think of them as little sisters I never had and want to protect!"

"Aww, that's sweet."

"You should go as a favor to your mother. Help her out," Karla suggested.

"I will, I'm kind of afraid of her anyway." They chuckled in unison and then went to the party at Gloria's club together.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, Juliette, VeraRose19, and A Star In My Universe!**


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